Just as Doctor Holiday predicted, Rex slipped into a coma-like sleep early the next morning. The doctors were in a panic, some because they worried about Providence's weapon, others because they worried about the teenager himself. He awoke within a couple hours, if one could consider his blank stare and dazed questions awake, but he went completely comatose by dinner. There was brain activity still, but nothing could rouse him.

There was much debate about what to do next. The cause of Rex's condition was obvious; the question was what caused it to deteriorate so quickly. A quick inspection from Doctor Holiday revealed a huge problem she hadn't even considered the day before. Not only was the virus attacking Rex's nanites and treating them like white blood cells, but the white blood cells were attacking the nanites and treating them like a virus. The result was that Rex's nanite count was the lowest Holiday had ever seen and continuing to decline exponentially.

The proposed solutions varied greatly. One scientist proposed that nothing could be done and things would have to run their course. Another suggested giving Rex a blast of more medicine and hoping for the best. A few more lame proposals were given until Bobo jokingly suggested, "How about we catch an EVO and get Rex to cure it?"

A couple doctors were about to throw the monkey out as a health concern until Six said, "That's not a bad idea."

Everyone stared at the green-clad agent like he was mad.

"The tank."

Holiday caught on. "Of course! Rex just offloaded a bunch of nanites the other day. If we reversed the machine, we might be able to increase Rex's nanite count."

It took a few moments for this to sink in. Then there were cheers.

"Hurry!" Holiday shouted over the din. "Get Rex on a stretcher. We need to transport him to Purgatory base!"

The plan actually worked. Granted, Rex had to be hooked up to the tank every few hours to keep his biometrics up, but it kept him from getting worse. His fever finally broke by the morning, and the nanites at last ceased to shut down. Rex was completely back to normal, though he still wouldn't wake up.

After the two all-nighters, Holiday was falling asleep where she sat. Six, who never seemed to need sleep, escorted the doctor to her room before returning to watch over Rex in her place.

What he found was an excellent surprise. Rex was sitting up, rubbing his eyes sleepily and looking around the dull room. "Where am I?"

"Purgatory base."

"Right..."

"How are you feeling?"

"Awful."

Six walked over and sat in the chair next to Rex's bed, which Holiday had previously occupied.

"Can I ask a stupid question?"

"Shoot."

"Who are you?"

Once again, everyone was in an uproar. Their best weapon against the EVOs—or Rex for those who actually cared about the person—had gotten amnesia and couldn't remember his own name, let alone how to fight and cure the monsters. Holiday suspected that the cause originated in the nanites shutting down and that given a little time, Rex would remember. The problem was that there was no time. While no EVOs had appeared since Rex took ill, one could appear at any moment. Providence needed their weapon back.

But until someone could think of a way to magically give Rex his memory back, Bobo and Six were to keep an eye on him and do the best they could to make him remember anything. In the end, Six was the one to have the bright idea of bringing Noah in so he and Bobo could do their actual jobs, despite the monkey's best efforts to avoid work as much as possible, and it was Holiday's job to bring the other teen up to speed.

"So I'm just supposed to hang around and babysit?" Noah asked.

"I'm sorry we have to ask this of you," Holiday apologized. "Things aren't exactly going the way everyone expected..."

Noah shook his head. "Nah, it's fine. We'll just play video games or something."

The door opened, revealing Rex lounging on a bed, throwing a ball in the air as Six and Bobo tested him.

"The monkey?"

"Bobo," Rex replied to the agent.

"The Doc?"

"Doctor Holiday." This time to Bobo.

The monkey gestured to Agent Six. "Him?"

"Agent Seven."

Noah couldn't help but laugh.

Rex caught his rubber ball and sat up. "Hey, if he wanted me to remember, he shouldn't go by a number." He then stood and scrutinized Noah's face.

"Do you recognize him?" Holiday asked hopefully.

"Nope."

Everyone sighed. Rex didn't notice. "So who is he?"

"Noah. Your friend."

"Right..." He didn't sound convinced.

"Just hang around with him," Bobo said, pushing past Rex. "The monkey needs a break."

Six also walked past, taking Holiday's arm. "You know how to reach us," he whispered to Noah so Rex wouldn't hear.

The blond teen gave a slight nod that Rex, too busy looking at the hall beyond the medical ward's door, didn't catch. Once the agent had left with the doctor, Noah grinned and said, "Come on. Let's play some games."

They ended up in Rex's huge room, playing the EVO boy's favorite game on his game system. For once, Noah was kicking the other teen's butt, which was a bittersweet feeling. It felt kind of like cheating, beating Rex at the game, even if the other cheated every other day of the year with his machine powers.

"I was good at this?" Rex asked, glaring at the game over screen.

"I never stood a chance."

Rex set the controller down and flopped back onto the floor.

"You okay?"

"Just thinking."

"About what?"

"About how I can kick your butt at this again."

They both laughed, and for a moment, things felt entirely back to normal. But only for a moment.

Rex sat up again and asked, "How'd we meet, anyway? From what Twenty-Three and Bobo were saying, I've been cooped up here all my life."

It took a few seconds for Noah to realize Rex was referring to Six. "You snuck out and we bumped into each other."

"Sounds about right." Rex flopped back to the floor and stared at the ceiling.

Noah glanced at the door, where Six was standing, silently gesturing for him. "Be right back," he said, standing. "Bathroom." He closed the door quickly after him.

"How are things?" Six asked urgently.

"I kicked his butt at a video game. That's it."

Six raised an eyebrow.

"I never win."

The agent comprehended the importance of the information now. Rex still didn't show any signs of remembering. It seemed more extreme measures would be needed than an old friend and an old room.

"Sneak out."

"What?"

"Get Rex out of here. We'll monitor everything."

"So it's not really sneaking out."

"As far as Rex is concerned, it is."

"Rex isn't supposed to leave, is he." It was more of a statement than a question.

"One of us is to monitor him at all times. There's nothing that says he can't actually leave."

Noah knew Six was bending the rules for Rex's sake. Despite Rex's complaining, Noah always got the feeling that Six actually cared about the teen's wellbeing, and if it meant getting in real trouble to help Rex, then so be it.

"The monkey will be waiting."

He went back to the room, where Rex had returned to the game. This time, he managed to destroy the CPU-controlled character. "Man, you missed it! I owned that thing."

"It was on easy mode."

"So? I still won." Rex grinned.

"Hey, let's get out of here."

Rex looked up at Noah. "What?"

"Sneak out."

"I get the feeling I'm in enough trouble for getting amnesia," Rex pointed out. "I don't think sneaking out's a good idea. Besides, we're on a ship. How're we supposed to get out of here?"

"The monkey's waiting to take us down."

"Bobo has a license?"

"No clue, but he can fly a jet."

"Good enough for me." Rex stood. "Lead the way."

Within what felt like minutes, Rex and Noah were on a basketball court in the middle of a city. Though they'd played basketball here dozens of times, Rex didn't recognize the place.

Noah wondered why Six had told him to sneak out. Like Rex had said earlier, the EVO teen had been in captivity most of his life. What good would leaving Providence do?

"Hey, Noah!"

The two teens turned. Two other teens, a dark-skinned girl with a messy brown ponytail and a boy with blue hair, were standing at the edge of the court. The girl had a basketball under one arm and was waving with the other.

"Who's you're cute friend?" she asked, grinning.

Rex stepped forward. "Rex. You?"

The girl giggled. The boy rolled his eyes. "Name's Bobby. She's my sister, Precious."

"They're my neighbors," Noah added.

Precious tossed the ball, which Rex caught. "Wanna play a game? Two-on-two. Losers buy soda for the winners."

"Sounds like fun. You're on!"

Noah grabbed Rex's shoulder and pulled him close enough to hiss, "Rex, you're terrible at basketball! You never win, even against me!"

"So?"

"They're the stars of the school basketball team."

"Oh. We're in trouble, aren't we?"

"More than you know."

The goal was to get ten points, to keep it short. Needless to say, the star basketball players wiped the floor with Rex and Noah. The two teens from Providence didn't even get to touch the ball. Well, Rex did once, but that was because Precious felt sorry for him and let him try to shoot, which he messed up entirely. It only took five minutes to beat Rex and Noah, but the group did have a good laugh.

Afterwards, they all sat, drinking sodas and laughing at stupid things. Well, three of the four were. Rex was just listening. He didn't go to their school, so he didn't understand why Nelson falling down the stairs again was funny or why the teacher's misspelling was hysterical.

Precious noticed his silence and leaned forward. "Where do you go to school, Rex?"

"He's homeschooled," Noah said before Rex could open his mouth.

Bobby whistled. "Wow. Lucky duck. Wish we were homeschooled. The cafeteria food's enough to kill, and the homework..."

"And the teachers," Precious added. "Some of them really need to buy breath mints."

"So what's it like being homeschooled, anyway?" Bobby asked.

Rex shrugged. He couldn't remember being homeschooled at all, which meant he'd have to lie through his teeth. "It's actually kinda boring. I get stuck reading a lot and doing things on my own."

"So it's school without the fun of friends."

"Pretty much."

Noah raised an eyebrow at his friend. Rex just shrugged. Noah sighed. Rex hadn't remembered anything.

Bobby looked at his watch. "It's getting late. We'd better get going."

"Yeah, see you," Noah said, raising a hand in a half-wave.

Precious stood, brushed her shorts off, and then winked at Rex. "We'll have to play again sometime. Maybe I can teach you how to shoot."

Her brother took her arm and dragged her away.

Rex gulped down the last of his semi-warm cola. "We should be heading back too, huh?"

Noah dug out his cell phone and dialed. No answer. He dialed again. Still no answer. Dialed a final time. Again, no answer. What were the chances that Six, Holiday, and the annoying monkey Bobo wouldn't be answering?

Well, if no one was answering, they had no ride back. "Why don't we hang out at my house a while? My mom won't mind."

"Will there be food?"

"My mom's the best cook I know."

A huge grin spread across Rex's face. "I'm in."

Noah's house was more of an apartment building a couple blocks from the court. The building was old, but not shabby, and gigantic, even bigger than Purgatory base. Inside, everything was brand new. Noah's apartment, however, was much different.

There were three rooms, one Noah said was his, the second his parents', and the third a tiny kitchen. On the counter sat a small television set, which was turned on to the news, and next to it, a thin woman mashing potatoes.

The woman turned when the door closed. "You're back late," she commented, looking Noah up and down before turning her eyes questioningly on Rex.

Noah followed her eyes, then belatedly jumped into quick introductions. "Mom, this is my friend Rex. Rex, my mom."

"A pleasure," Noah's mom said, setting down the bowl of steaming mashed potatoes. "Dinner will be ready in a few minutes, so go clean up." She then turned back to a saucepan.

They headed to Noah's room, which could be described in one word: cozy. The room was neat for a teenaged boy's, with everything put away except for his school things, which were spilling out of his backpack.

"Nice room," Rex joked, sitting down on the bed.

Noah sat at his desk. "If I let it get messy, my dad would kill me."

"Tight ship?"

"Oh yeah."

Rex scanned the room and noticed something. He hopped off the bed and examined a photo on the dresser. There were four people. Noah stood next to his mother, who was next to a tall man in uniform who could only be his father, but the fourth person left Rex at a loss. This boy was like Noah, but taller, even more so than Noah's father.

"Who's this?" he asked.

Noah seemed a little startled by the question. "Oh. That's my brother, John."

"Do I know him?"

There was a pause. "No."

Rex looked at his friend. "Can I meet him?"

"That's impossible."

"How come?"

Before Noah could answer, his mother poked her head through the open door and said, "Dinner time, guys. Come and get it while it's hot."

The two looked at each other. Noah said, "Later," then led Rex to the kitchen small kitchen table.

"This is really good!" Rex said, gobbling up the mashed potatoes and the pork chops.

Noah's mother chuckled. "Help yourself." She passed more over, which Rex gratefully snarfed down. "Providence doesn't cook like this, I guess."

Rex paused in stuffing his face. "If they do, I don't get any."

The door to the apartment opened. "I'm home!"

Noah's mother stood quickly. "Honey! I thought your plane didn't get arrive until tomorrow!"

"The meeting ended early, so I could get on an earlier flight." The man who had entered frowned at Rex. "Who's this?"

"A friend of mine," Noah said quickly.

"From school?"

"No. Home-schooled."

Rex wondered why Noah and his mother looked so nervous. If this guy was Noah's dad, then he had to be okay, right? Rex stood and then offered a hand. "I'm Rex. Nice to meet you—"

"Rex?" Noah's father repeated, narrowing his eyes. "Haven't I seen you before?"

"Dad, come on, he's a friend of mine," Noah butted in. "He lives in the area. Maybe you just passed him on the—"

The man's eyes narrowed. "No, I know where I've seen him. He's been on the news."

Noah's mother stepped a little closer to Rex. "You must be mistaking him for someone—"

"He's that EVO freak from Providence!"

Rex stood and lifted his hands in surrender. "Hey, I don't know what you're talking about. I—"

"Out of my house," the man hissed. Rex blinked. "Out of my house. Now! I will not have a member of Providence, especially not an EVO, in this house! Out!"

"Fine, I get it." Rex headed for the door. "Thanks for everything," he added to Noah and his mother before he walked out the door.

When he stepped outside into the chilly evening air, Rex wondered briefly how he was supposed to get back. He had no phone like Noah, and even if he did, he didn't know the number he was supposed to call. Maybe Fifty-Eight would notice he was gone and would come for him. That guy seemed to watch him like a hawk.

Thankfully, Rex didn't have to think about it too long. Noah came running out after him. "Hey, sorry about what my dad said. He's… anti-Providence and hates EVOs."

"But what's an EVO?"

Noah almost seemed shocked by the question. "Well, there are these things called nanites that are inside everybody. Sometimes they go nuts, and then the people turn into monsters called EVOs."

"So why'd he call me one? I'm not a monster."

"It's because you're different," Noah replied. "For some reason, you didn't change like the others." Then Noah held his head.

"You okay?"

"Just a bit of a headache. I'll be fine. Ah!" Noah doubled over.

Rex rushed to help his friend. "What's wrong? What should I do? Should I get your mom?"

Noah started coughing. "I-I don't—"

"Get back!" Rex felt strong hands grab him and pull him back away from Noah.

"Ten! What's wrong with him?"

Six ignored the wrong name. "He's becoming an EVO."

Noah was on all fours now, coughing, panting. His skin was crawling, literally. Scales were appearing like blisters all over his face and hands. The transformation started quickening. His hands weren't hands, but twisted claws. His teeth were fangs. His body was growing longer and more willowy. He ceased to look remotely human. Instead, a dragon-like beast remained, craning its head to see everyone and everything.

"Noah?"

The dragon turned its head and stared down at Rex with ruby red eyes, nothing like Noah's. It then got on all fours, arched its back like a cat, and let out a deafening roar before running away, destroying everything in its wake with its tail.

"Noah!"

Six held Rex back. "There's nothing you can do right now. We'll capture Noah and hold him until we can turn him back."

Rex struggled against his nanny ninja. "Let me go! Noah's—"

"What about Noah?"

They turned to see Noah's father panting. "Where's Noah?"

"We have everything under control," Six said calmly. "We'll capture and contain the EVO until we are able to cure—"

"So that thing is Noah?" The man seemed to lose all his strength and fell to his knees. "Not Noah too… Not after what happened to John."

Rex looked to where the EVO Noah had become was running. He fought off Six's hands and took off after Noah. "Rex! Where are you—"

"I have to do something!" Rex shouted behind him. "I'm an EVO, right? Maybe I can do something."

Six didn't move to stop him. Instead, he touched the intercom in his ear. "Holiday?"

"The nanites are responding, but I'm not sure if that will be enough. Keep an eye on him."

"Roger that." Six jumped on his hover board and sped after the two.

Rex was running as fast as he could, but he couldn't keep up with the crazed animal Noah had become. I need to go faster! he thought, and as if by magic, he wasn't running anymore. His feet were off the ground, and he was soaring. He almost lost his balance in the air and crashed into the ground.

"Steady," Six said from right beside him. "You're using your jet pack."

"Jet pack?" Rex glanced behind him and saw the wings coming out of his body. "Awesome!"

"Focus. You need to cure him."

"How the heck do I do that?"

"Providence has yet to figure out how you do it."

Rex looked back at Noah. "Then how am I supposed to?"

"You knew how to before. You should be able to now."

He nodded and shot forward.

The dragon EVO turned to face Rex and roared again before spitting acid at the insignificant insect approaching. Rex flew higher, barely missing the projectile, and watched as the street below melted.

"Noah! I'm trying to help!" Rex shouted over the rush of air in his ears. "Stop attacking!" It flipped its tail around, catching Rex in the back and knocking him to the ground. It then slammed its talons down over Rex's body, smashing him into the ground.

Now what do I do? Rex thought, trying desperately to free himself. His body reacted again, causing his arms to become two giant mechanical fists, which was plenty to force the beast's claws away.

The EVO jumped back and roared at Rex again, backing away slowly. Rex grinned. Now that he had a way to fight, he had a way to stop Noah, and if he could stop the EVO, he could find a way to cure him like Forty-Two had suggested.

He reached his hand up and punched the EVO in the stomach. It fell to the ground and lay motionless. Something inside Rex told him now was his chance, and even though he didn't know what he was doing, he touched the creature's side.

Rex couldn't describe the feeling. Hot, cold, painful… It was like pure and searing hot energy was flowing from the writhing, shrinking creature into his hands and through his veins. And then suddenly the feeling, and the creature, were gone. All that remained was a tiredness. The EVO was gone. Instead, Noah lay unconscious.

"You okay?" Rex panted, approaching his friend.

Noah opened his eyes weakly. "Yeah. I think so."

"Good." Agent Six hopped off his hover board and knelt down next to Noah. "You're coming with us until we confirm you're condition."

Noah nodded and closed his eyes. He looked sick.

"You sure he'll be okay, Six?"

The green clad agent stared at Rex. "You just called me Six."

The teen stretched. "What else would I call you?"

Six frowned. "You haven't been able to remember my name for the past twenty-four hours."

Rex looked thoughtful a moment. "I dunno. When I cured Noah, it all came back to me."

Six patted the boy on the shoulder, then turned. "I'll go—"

"No," Rex stepped past the agent. "I want to tell them."

Back at the department, Providence was already on the scene for damage control. The faceless soldiers look up as Rex walked past straight for Noah's parents, both of whom looked like they would collapse any second.

When Noah's mother spotted Rex, she asked hurriedly. "Where's Noah?"

"He's fine. Providence just wants to take a look at him to make sure, but he's not an EVO anymore."

Noah's father lifted his head. He looked ill. "I guess I was wrong about you," he said. "It's just… after what happened with John."

"What happened to John?" Rex asked, looking back at the sad man.

"After the Event, he became an EVO. Providence… Providence destroyed him." The man sighed. "I was angry, but that didn't give me the right to act that way to you. And now I owe you."

Rex shook his head. "You don't owe me anything. Or Providence. It's my job." He grinned and offered his hand. "No hard feelings?"

Noah's father smiled and shook his hand.

A decent fanfic, if I do say so myself. First Generator Rex, and it was started about episode six and then put on hold for a while. Hopefully the time lapse isn't too obvious.

And for those wondering about my other two fics, I plan to finish the one over break when I get the chance to reread what I wrote, remember where I am, and write the ending.