Sweet Mary mother Teresa on the hood of Mercedes-Benz this is the longest chapter I have ever written. It's neatly 3,000 words long and 8 pages (double spaced) I cannot believe I actually typed that much. Not to mention this is the longest fic I have ever written.

Disclaimer: I am still poor

Within These Walls

Chapter 7

When I awoke the first thing that was made very aware of was that I was severely uncomfortable. Whatever I was lying on was rock hard and I was freezing. Finding that lying face down wasn't all that comfortable, my attempt at rolling over brought forth a groan that quickly erupted into a fit of hoarse coughs. Coming to realize I was sore all over, and covered in a slew of cuts and bruises; I made myself content with studying the insides of my eyelids until the pain slowly ebbed away. Finally, after a trying ordeal, I eventually made it onto my back to not be greeted with the familiar white ceilings of Providence. Instead, open sky meet me, only slightly obscured by the buildings and skyscrapers surrounding me.

That snapped me into awareness pretty fast as I fought past the discomfort to sit up, trying to discover where the hell I was. It seemed I had awoken in some city in a dingy alleyways sleeping behind a dumpster. Fucking gross.

"How the hell did I get here?" I groaned to myself trying to remember what had happened in the last 24 hours that would have caused me to end up here. I hung out with Noah, weird shit happened, I passed out again, I had another nightmare, and then? Nothing, everything was this blank haze. I prayed to god hoping I wasn't once again losing my memory, luckily though it seemed I had only forgotten the last couple of hours.

Falling back down to the ground still trying to find a logical solution to my current predicament I brought a hand up to my face trying to rub away the headache building behind my eyes. Disgust swept through me upon feeling my hand was covered in a sticky viscous substance. Whatever I was expecting to be on my hand considering I woke by a dumpster would have been better than what I saw.

Blood.

Blood everywhere, caked so thick that it had dried almost black. It wasn't just on my hand; it was all over me. It was all the way past my elbows, on my face, and all over the torn remains of the hospital gown I was somehow still wearing. The smell that invaded my nostrils was so putrid I promptly threw up my stomach's contents only to find more of it. To my dismay I had thrown up large chunks of what I assumed was flesh and an unhealthy amount of blood. Forcing myself to turn away I dragged myself away from the evidence of my actions, while willing myself to not throw up again.

"No, no, no, no, no. Please, god no. I didn't! I didn't do this," my shaking hands tried to wipe all the gore away only for it to smear across my face even worse. Not even my frantic tears could cut through the mess; only forming blood tinted trails down my cheeks.

"You did this," the shadow added lazily flashing images of Six's surprised face as a wolf lunged for his jugular. Clenching my eyes shut I grabbed at my hair with enough force to rip it from my scalp only to feel bits of flesh between my fingers.

"I'm sorry I didn't-I didn't-no please I'm so sorry," my words were jumbled and incoherent as I rocked back and forth in the secluded alley. I couldn't go back to Providence—I couldn't go home. I killed them all. I killed my family just like the shadow said. I killed everyone and I couldn't stop myself. More images of violence snapped through my mind until I screamed.

"Please, I'm so sorry. Just make it stop! Please, just make it stop," my voice trailing off into sobs. Curling in on myself knowing I had lost the only family I had left. The only people that cared about me. Feeling the pure unadulterated horror slip into my gut like a rock. I couldn't be alone, not again. I was probably being hunted like the crazed EVO I was. Something that needed to be put down like White always so eloquently put it. I deserved it. I deserved to be cut open and tortured like the monster I was. No, I didn't even deserve to meet a swift end. That was too generous. I should be forced to suffer for what I did. Should let myself rot somewhere where no one would ever find me. My sobs echoed off the filthy walls as the world was oblivious to my anguish.

I don't know how long I lied there waiting for the end to come. Waiting to just be put out of my misery. Long enough for the blood that coated my body to dry and crack. I clutched the torn remains of my hospital gown even closer as if it would offer some shielding from the cold. Just as my mind was slipping into comfortable numbness I heard the all too familiar whirring of Providence jets overheard.

I could tell they were searching the city by their uneven flight patterns. Probably searching for me I thought. Taking this as my cue to flee I stumbled to my feet thankfully leaving the bloodshed behind. Knowing that I had no home at Providence any longer I decided that I was ultimately going to live like those other wild EVOs in isolation as to no hurt anyone else.

Thus, my first mission was to get the blood off of me and find some new closes as I was pretty obvious in my current attire. It wasn't all that difficult to find a gas station and slip into some outdoor bathrooms, but the sight of my face brought on a whole new wave of self-loathing. Blood really wasn't a good look for me. I looked ghastly even as my face twisted in disgust and my fist slammed into the mirror. Smashing the mirror didn't make me feel all that better and instead I was left with bleeding knuckles watching the brown blood lazily swirl down the sink drain. Glowing blue eyes stared back at me from the shards of the mirror until all I could do without breaking down again was to leave the dirtied bathroom behind me.

Now with new threads and my hospital gown bundled up and tossed in some trashcan I was left wandering the crowded streets. I burrowed into the dark blue fabric of my stolen hoodie as best as I could, while weaving through the throngs of people crowding the busy sidewalk. People barely paid me any mind despite a few glares as I bumped into shoulders or bags. Eventually finding myself with nothing better to I sought some sort of solace on a bench in a little patch of grass and a playground generously called a park. Being left alone with my thoughts I inevitably pulled out my hands from my pockets of my stolen jeans. There was still blood beneath my finger nails as well as in the creases of my hands. No amount of soap and scrubbing could remove it all. Clenching my hands into fist and bowing my head as I felt new tears threaten to fall. I couldn't cry anymore, I knew that. Knew that there was no way for me to bring them back from what I had done. I shouldn't be crying for those I killed.

"I'm a monster," I silently admitted to myself and this time there was no laugh or sarcastic quip from the shadow. Instead a high pitched scream erupted from behind me making me jump and swivel my head towards the source of the sound.

A mother who was pushing her toddler on a swing nearby watched as her child ultimately underwent the early stages of the transformation into an EVO. Its skin bubbled and festered as its cries turned into distorted shrieks. Ones cracked and reformed to so once it was all over the young toddler now looked something akin to a large rat with spikes instead of fur and too many legs. It quickly tore from the confines of the swing set and with saliva dripping from its exposed teeth it stalked closer to its once was terror stricken mother It leapt with claws ready to slice into her abdomen and before even thinking I had stepped in between her and the raging EVO. Building my Smackhands I threw it into the playground with yelp.

"Be careful that's my baby!" the women cried beside me tugging on my arm as if I was the one that was a threat. I coldly glanced at her before shrugging her off and pulling my hood over my head. I didn't need Providence to notice me if they came to investigate this new EVO.

From the twisted metal that was once the playground the EVO emerged hissing at me. Readying for another attack the EVO seemed to give me a quick glance before tearing off towards the nearby street.

Cursing I built my Rex Ride and gave chase despite knowing my chances of being discovered were only increasing. I couldn't do it. I knew if I was discovered that Providence would either cut me open or lock me in the Pit. I knew I deserved that at least but I just didn't want to be forced back to stare at the bodies of my family.

Shaking the thoughts from my head I swerved through oncoming traffic as the EVO ahead of me bobbed and leapt over the speeding cars. Horns blared as once again the EVO darted away from me down a narrow street. Swerving around to follow it I was met with the sight of another Providence jet hovering ahead of me.

Shit, I thought as I demolished my Rex Ride, quickly turning down a nearby alley and instead giving chase by foot. My previous aches and pains were all but forgotten as I hurtled over traffic and leapt over the fleeing pedestrians with ease. It was exhilarating to say the least, I couldn't remember the last time I've had this much fun chasing an EVO. Following the thing for a couple city blocks I was keeping up with it relatively fine despite that fact that I should have grown exhausted long ago.

It wasn't until I came to a not so busy street that I found that I had lost sight of the EVO in all the chaos. The Providence jet had thankfully flown away having not seen me in pursuit of the EVO; still, with all the people running around me it was difficult to hone in on exactly what they were all running from.

"Duck," I heard the shadow say and without thinking I dropped to the ground seeing the EVO I was chasing leap over me. The rat quickly spun around giving me another hiss; this time obviously done with running. I felt the shadow laugh at its display thinking that it was going to threaten me. I felt something similar to rage flood my system as I pulled back my lips to give a snarl of my own.

With this the EVO charged, but I dodged the attack easily giving me a chance to swipe at the underside of the creatures belly with claws of my own. Not hesitating with this new development I gave the EVO a sharp kick to its side sending it into a nearby building. Looking down at my new black claws extending from my nails I looked up and gave the EVO a toothy smile. Not letting up I charged at the EVO intending to punch the thing in its deformed face, but quicker than I thought, the EVO dropped out of the way giving me a swift head-butt to the gut.

"Back," the shadow once again offered as I back flipped from the EVO as it made a snap at my knees. Continuing its attack the EVO lunged at my chest only for me to grab it and brutally hurtle it into a nearby car. Following up the attack, I sharply kneed the thing with a yelp hearing a satisfying crack of its ribs. With its back legs it kicked me away having finally realized that it had little chance of winning this battle; it made a quick turn to try to escape, but I was having none of it. With speed I didn't know I possessed I swiped at the creatures hind limbs quickly removing its means of escape.

With its legs effectively gone it was sent hurtling into the ground with garbled squeak. Not giving it a chance to recover I lunged at the EVO wrapping my bare hands around its throat and slamming it into the ground with a vicious smile. The EVO persisted in its struggle clawing at my arms as it coughed and gagged. I wasn't even fazed from the gashes on my arms as I slammed the EVO into the ground again and again with a roar.

"Release the EVO!" A voice called down from a hellacarrier that had arrived half way through the fight. Breaking me from my attack I looked up and growled at the Providence ship, that was until I saw a familiar face in the bay doors.

"Six?" I gasped before hearing a weak noise from below me. The EVO I had pinned was slowly ceasing its struggles as it succumbed to lack of air. Realizing what I had fully intended to do, I got to work on communicating with the nanites. The familiar whirring of the small machines filled my ears seeing the EVO below me shrink in on itself and regain its human features. Once it was cured I staggered back placing a hand over my face as to block the image of the toddler's still form beneath me. They're alive? Everyone is okay?

"Rex?" Six yelled as he was unloaded from the ship along with the rest of the troops.

I turned to stare at him with wide eyes thinking this was all some trick on the shadows part. I saw—I thought he was dead, but there he was. A sob slipped past my lips as I fell to my knees feeling my face crumple into tears. Everyone was alright I hadn't hurt anyone? I was shaking from the relief I felt.

"Rex are you hurt? We've been searching for you after you went MIA at the base," he asked kneeling beside my shaking form. His stern voice was undermined by the comforting hand he placed on my shoulder giving it a gently squeeze.

"Everyone is okay?" I gasped looking up to Six with misty eyes. His brows furrowed dipping beneath his sunglasses.

"Yes, no one is injured," he answered evenly, mistaking my question thinking I was asking about the current EVO attack in the city

"Though, you did a number on the kid," looking up I saw the toddler being carried off in a stretcher with a bright orange blanket covering the many wounds on his body. I winced seeing the concerned mother fretting over her unconscious child.

"Rex, we need to get you back to base," Six stated helping me to my feet, but I shook my head taking a few calculated steps from him.

"I'm not going back Six," I said realizing this was my only chance to escape or be carted back to Providence. Knowing that my family was safe was enough to steel my nerves facing the fact that I could never be near them again. Knowing that I should never be near them. Just thinking that I had killed Six and hurt the rest of my family was something I didn't want to experience again. I owed my family that much.

"Rex, we're not arguing about this now. Holiday and I need to ask you a couple of questions as to why you were nowhere on base last night while it was being attacked," he responded sharply quickly turning to walk towards the ship thinking that I would offer no further resistance.

"I'm serious, Six. I'm not going back with you," I squared my shoulders as he stopped midstride watching as the muscles in his back tense beneath his suit jacket. He slowly turned around fixing me with a hard glare behind his shades before pointing towards the ship.

"Get in the ship. Now," he stated and I could hear the bite in his voice letting me know he would soon start yelling. I bristled at this as he spoke to me like some unruly child. Returning his glare I made no move to enter the jet. Couldn't he see I was just trying to protect them? I was doing this for them. Six of all people should know that sometimes people lock themselves away as to protect others. Despite my inner turmoil my resolve held strong and I refused to allow my face to show anymore despair.

"No," was my only reply. Taking this act of defiance as the breaking point for Six's patience he literally stomped over before getting in my face. I was ready for a punch or a kick but instead he grabbed the back of my hoodie and physically dragged me towards the jet. I was having none of it. With snarl I ripped from Six's grip and bared my sharpening teeth. I felt my eyes shift and my nails lengthen as I glared back at him.

"I'm not going anywhere with you," I growled out.

Do the does please. Am I good at writing angst yet?