Hello everyone, college has started so I don't know when I'll have time to write another chapter for awhile.

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Within These Walls

Chapter 10

Six's POV

As soon as I rush over our minimal cover and towards the giant plasma rifles that are targeted at our current location I know I'm making a mistake— that I've made a huge mistake. In my defense my options were pretty limited: either let the EVO escape to pull Rex to safety and be in close proximity to the creature he was going to become or stay and take down the EVO so that for all those who died their sacrifice would not be in vain. Still it's hard to rationalize my actions when you're about to be vaporized.

I hear Rex screaming and the EVO releasing its ear splitting cry as the very air itself seems to ignite around us. The sweat on my body evaporate in an instant and my world explodes in the worse agony I have ever experienced in my life. After that everything happens too fast and images come in hazy flashes. I must have lived through the blast because next thing I know I'm lying on my back seeing everything through a glowing blue filter.

I turn my head to the side sluggishly because I'm still trying to figure out if it's still attached to my body.

Rex is screaming hunched over arms spread like he's trying to hold back the blast through sheer force of will alone. I think he's screaming at least there's still a deafening roar around us. My ears are ringing, it's too bright, and my eyes close with things fading again to white noise.

It's hard to pull my eyes open but when I come to Rex is collapsing along with the blue bubble around us. It takes my brain longer than I would care to admit to realize the reason I'm still alive. Rex must have built his Block Party at the last second however he managed to maintain it is both surprising and terrifying. Rex was only beginning to tap into his power and potential. If their strongest weapon couldn't take him down then what could?

I don't know how long I laid there just focusing on my own heartbeat. The sheer relief I felt that, this battle at least, was over. We had finally finished off that terrible EVO, but there was still another threat wasn't there? I was going to have to go over there and figure out how to take down Rex and if I failed then Rex would surely be killed as well or end up a killer himself. There was another dangerous EVO that was going to be unleashed if I didn't get moving. As I force myself to roll to my side regretting not just passing out again to save myself the trouble the ground shakes beneath me. Through the dust I see a mass moving and shifting slowly shaking off dirt and rubble.

To my horror the EVO drags itself above ground having partially escaped beneath the street while we were more focused on not dying. At least now the creature is obviously weakened by the cuts that mar its hide and the way it drags one of its massive arms across the ground seemingly useless. We have to get out of here there's no way now that we can take it on. The EVO hisses eyes scanning around its destroyed surroundings in a daze.

I slow my attempts to stand eyes darting every which way before I see one of my swords lying partially concealed under some debris too far away to be even remotely helpful. I glance to Rex to see if he's aware of how dire the situation is but things only grow worse.

Rex is on all four visibly shaking as I see his clothes begin to shred from the metal growing from his body. Seeing the beast Rex becomes is one thing but witnessing the transformation first hand is horrifying. I can hear him panting and whimpering in pain despite the distance between us. I can see the way his spine bends and his bones and muscles shifting before metal erupts from his skin dripping blood. The transformation seems to halt for a moment when Rex turns to me his features stretched and contorted trying to form something inhuman but still I recognize the boy underneath. He's pleading with his eyes for me to run, to get out of here before I have to face the wolf again. I need a plan; we need a plan to get us both out of here in one piece and before Rex becomes something I no longer recognize.

A shudder rips through him again but this attempts to quiets his agony are unsuccessful as he screams hoarsely body folding in on himself and the EVO head snaps to our prone forms. Its face morphs into one of pure rage opening its mouth to roar loud enough that it unsettles the dust around us once again. All premature plans go straight out the wind when the thing rushes at us with surprising speed

I dive for my sword. I fling my sword with as much power as I can muster. My aim stays true and the sword imbeds itself in the creature's eye causing it to roar in pain and stumble past us. One crisis averted, but how much time did I buy against my imminent demise. Rex is changing into that thing, I'm down a sword and have no idea where the other one is, and now I've pissed the EVO off even more.

Rex's rough pants have now turned into growls. It's like witnessing a train wreck when I turn to see the ending phases of his change. All the metal plating settles into place on his, body black fur growing in between, and glowing eyes that flicker to life. The wolf shakes itself before training its eyes on me and pulling back its lips to give a deep snarl.

"Rex, it's me Six. I need you to get a hold of yourself," I try to reason with the huge wolf that is lumbering towards me. Its metal hackles raise and glowing blue teeth snap at me seemingly trying to startle me into a chase. I snap at myself as soon as the thought crosses my mind. It's not an It that thing is still Rex he has to be in there somewhere. I refuse to think that he is gone replaced by some mindless creature.

He stalks forward but a shriek behind me draws our attention. The EVO has finally removed my sword from its face. I'm caught in the middle of two very deadly and very pissed EVOs. Either way the EVO seems to be of higher priority than me in Rex's now warped mind. I hear a whirring of nanites and the metal plating on Rex's shoulders grow to cover his face reminiscent of the battering ram on his RexRide. He charges forward making me roll out of the way and I watch as he instead charges at the EVO. However, it's more than prepared for the attack and it simply swats Rex into the side of a building. Rex isn't even fazed rolling midair to land on all four rebounding for another go at the EVO this time rocketing into the side of its head. It wobbles still having not recovered from the previous blast from their arsenal.

Once again I witness the savage intensity of Rex flinging himself unabated at the EVO that is more than three times his size. The creature is already more than incapacitated, but he isn't nearly finished though he leaps back claws and nails digging into the side of the creature's massive neck. It releases a harrowing groan of pain deep and pitiful as blood sprays from the gaping wound. It shakes Rex from its shoulders but it's clear he pierced something vital through the creature's thick hide. He's relentless in his pursuit to bestow as much pain and suffering upon the EVO with a whir of nanites again Rex's tail transforms into some altered version of his BFG. Within seconds he has sliced through the tendons on the back of the EVO's legs this time it finally goes down. It gurgles blood its one eye growing glassy with a final flick of a blade the EVO's head separates from its body with resounding thump. Rex stands triumphantly above the fallen creature bathed in its blood seemingly unsatisfied with the carnage becasue I now have his complete attention.

Apparently Rex still has some recognition of me or at least his nanite addled brain remembered our last fight going by his vicious snarl. This time I really don't have my sword and to be honest it's kind of hard to quickly bounce back from being almost annihilated. Let's just say my odds weren't look so good even without the fact Rex had single-handedly takin down the EVO that had destroyed a majority of the city.

He wastes no time in leaping from the fallen EVO jaws gaping open revealing all of his glowing blue teeth. I roll out of the way getting to me feet and running to where the EVO had flung my sword. I don't have to look behind me to know that Rex is closing in snapping at my heels. I dive for my sword rolling to then parry his fangs. His teeth snap onto my sword with a metallic clank pushing me onto my back as his razor sharp claws tried to rip into me. His eye are glowing blue orbs of pure malice as he snaps into the sharp blade of my sword blood dripping from the corners of his mouth. He truly and sincerely wants to kill me and bask in my blood just as he did with the EVO. I roll with the momentum kicking Rex over my head with a startled yelp. He spins landing easily but then there's the dreaded whirring of nanites once more and the same protective covering encases Rex's face charging at me head long. I merely raise an eyebrow at such a reckless attack. I crouch down at the last second cutting into his exposed forelegs sending him crashing into the ground I had hoped that this would at least keep Rex down until Providence back up could arrive to do damage control. But one thing is for certain Rex is stubborn as he staggers to his feet wounded.

"Rex, please. We can help you at Providence, but you need to calm down," he snarls and suddenly I understand the reason behind he is relentless attacks. He's angry, frustrated even as he lunges at me again with his BFG metal hackles raised like spikes down his spine.

Rex is challenging me.

It's apparent in his posture, head raised exposing his throat. Trying to take me down with brute force alone rather than with tact. His early aggression. He doesn't try to dodge my blows only taking them in stride charging forward once again.

I dodge the first swipe, hitting Rex in the back of his head with the bottom of my sword with Rex struggling to remain on his feet, swaying from the impact. I am usually the one in charge of Rex and apparently the animalistic part of his brain are seemingly unsatisfied with the status quo.

"Stay down," I say but still Rex charges with abandon. Wobbly this time. He's given up even trying to build his machines simply lunging at me again. I spin kick him in the side of the face feeling even worse when he stumbles careening off into the ground.

"Rex, please," I all but beg still he attempts to stand. It takes significantly more effort this time but he turns to face me once more. Blood drips from his teeth when he bites out a wet growl. The dread that has been sinking in my gut morphs into resigned pity for what Rex has become. They have to help Rex no matter what. Whatever has happened to Rex has transformed him into this angry mindless animal masking any traces of him that may be lingering beneath the surface. It pushes him forward despite the blood and the way he can no longer put weight on one his front legs. I lower my sword knowing there's no use fighting him anymore it will only do more damage.

He takes several more steps towards me before his legs give out. He tries to get up several more times before just trying to drag himself forward. Even then the energy visibly drains from him with a pained wheeze escaping him pitching higher into a whine. His eyes never leaving my face as I step forward no longer filled with hate now glazed over with exhaustion. Kneeling before him garners no reaction. Before I can second guess myself my hand reaches out to gentle touch his metal flank feeling the effort it takes him to breathe with every inhale.

The sudden peace is completely shattered when a shot rings through the silence and Rex cries out as electricity bounces over his form. Jumping to my feet I see several squads of Providence soldiers picking their way through the debris and around the fallen EVO all with their guns trained on Rex.

"What the hell are you doing?" I snap seething at the captain of the squad and several more shots go off. My anger soars to new heights with Rex's audible agony. Whirling around so fast to slice every weapon around me in half facing the captain again murder apparent in every tensed muscle.

"Who ordered this?" I bite out teeth clenched so hard my jaw aches.

"I did," White's monotone voice emerges from a small tablet a soldier is holding to face me. "Good work neutralizing both the EVOs," he says without any sort of gratitude or praise in his voice. "But we'll take it from here," he says looking away from me and nodding to another squad who quickly surround Rex. They are snapping a muzzle over his face and binding his legs together while he only weakly struggles.

"Stop this—" I turn but White interrupts any sort of argument.

"Agent Six!" I freeze slowly turn back to face him again and his eyes are steely. "This out of your hands. We're bringing Rex to a secure facility where he will be sedated for further study until he regains his…composure. He will also be given a new temporary handler. You and Dr. Holiday's performance the last several days have been disappointing to say the last, and I believe there is someone else more capable of handling Rex's current situation. If and only if we can get the situation stabilized then Rex can return to your care obviously on a limited time frame," he simply states seemingly struggling to find the right words to describe Rex's nightly transformations without falling into clichés. Still my blood runs cold at his words.

If Rex seems to handle his transformations better I'll get some twisted joint custody of him during the day while some other agent handles him during the night. I know this is simply a bid on White's part to pacify any complaints I may have for the whole set-up.

"Is that clear Agent Six?" he raises an eyebrow at my tensed form and the way my knuckles have gone white on the hilt of my katana. I don't even look behind me as the soldier haul Rex onto a trailer and he no longer struggles. I can still feel Rex's eyes on me.

"Yes, sir" I say feeling like I have doomed Rex and me both.

Thank you.