Rex reached out and touched the two headed Mantis Evo, and markings spread along it's body and slowly it's skin warped and changed forming back into a pair of conjoined twin sisters, "huh who knew you two were always two headed eh?" he asked,
The two girls threw their arms around him and pulled him into the tightest hug he'd ever received, "Thanks Rex," the first one said,
"You're the best Rex," both girls squeezed him tightly and then left the hideout causing Rex to sigh,
"Something wrong boss?" Tuck the mummy Evo asked as he unravelled himself down to the same level as his best friend,
Rex shoved his hands into his pockets, "Those two had the sharpest blades I'd ever seen, and they just gave it up,"
"Yeah," Skwydd stated, "to be ''normal'', can't imagine why they'd want that, after all not being glared at while you walk down the street would be just awful, and the lack of price gouging," he scoffed,
"Leave Rex alone, you know what he meant," Cricket said with a pout, "without Heads we'll have to just smash through things again,"
"And there goes all my best coin jokes," Rex bemoaned, he walked over to a stack of tires and sat on one, "makes you wonder though, would they have done it if it was the other way around?" he asked, "if Evo's were on top, would she- they have wanted to change back to normal?"
"Some maybe wouldn't," Tuck said, "but that's their choice Rex, to the curable Evo's you're a second chance at life,"
"And for the rest of us you're like a hero, swooping in and saving us from... well you know," Cricket said,
"Yeah," Rex said with a smile, he groaned and stood up, "I'm gonna go for a walk," he said walking over to the door,
"Wait," Cricket said hopping over to him, "it's just-" she stopped and brushed some of her hair behind her ear, "Did you want some company?"
"Do I ever?" he asked, but when she started to frown he smiled and said, "but hey next time Cricket,"
"Y-yeah, next time,"
"Atta girl," he said leaving the hideout,
A few minutes later he kicked his feet up on Quarry's meeting table, "Can I ditch the freeloaders now?" he asked, "the cute one finally ditched us to go normal,"
Quarry crossed his arms, he was an Evo mob boss who's past was as mysterious as the missing part of his face, there were rumours, like he was an ex-mafioso who was executed when he turned, or that he was a construction worker who became an evo during an accident that would've been fatal, either way he groaned, "Rex you know I understand why you want to be free and all but c'mon, that Cricket girl would practically do anything you say, why do you want to get rid of them? why any other man with that kinda loyalty would maybe even think of starting his own crew," he said with a chuckle, "well then again that's what Spike thought,"
Rex rolled his eyes, "Another one really?" he asked, "and Railroad Spike was the turncoat?"
"Seems I can't quite get the loyalty you inspire Rex," Quarry stated, "what's your secret? bribes? threats?" his eye widened, "being their friend?"
Rex closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair, "Basic rule of manipulation, find people who were in bad situations and help, they'll do anything you say afterwards, and yeah being nice to them is kinda key,"
Quarry chuckled, "My Rex, and people say I'm heartless, but you, you're stone cold,"
"Is it cold? I just wanna be free Quarry, you hold the leash so I do what you say," Rex said,
"Look Rex if you really wanted gone I can't keep you forever," Quarry stated, "but think on it at least, what's your life gonna be if you go?"
Rex stood up, "Right Quarry, we'll I've been gone too long I'd better get back to my ''friends''," he said,
"You've got a good thing going Rex, and hey maybe if you keep it up, those pals of yours can be my officers openly," Quarry said,
It was all crap, Quarry couldn't be trusted with anything, Rex's freedom was too much as is, but there was one thing that Quarry said that was true, he couldn't hold Rex forever, and he knew it,
One day Rex would leave, with or without Quarry's approval,
Only thing that kept Rex here was that he wasn't really sure he wanted to leave, sure it was chump change, but honestly he knew he'd have a sweet gig here if it just weren't for one problem,
Quarry,
Guy was a brick house, and a way stronger fighter then anyone expected, first time anyone thought they'd betray him Quarry invited all his best men and made them watch as he beat the traitor down with one hand,
Took ages to get blood out of the carpets, but Quarry's message was clear,
Nobody betrays him and walks,
If anyone could take down Quarry they'd rule Shanghai from the seedy underbelly,
That was a big 'if' though, Quarry's mutation turned his skin into some sturdy rock, he was practically invincible, pair unbreakable skin with his skill as a fighter and Quarry was just easier to avoid then to take down,
Rex groaned out in frustration, "Man I'm never gonna be free am I?"
"HELP!"
Rex's eyes turned to see a bunch of people surrounding something, "Man, they're really making this too easy aren't they?" he asked, "at this rate I'll have an army of Evo's listening to me,"
Rex leapt from roof to roof slowly getting closer to ground level, he saw a young ordinary looking dark haired man in a trench coat covered in bruises and blood, and a bunch of thugs approaching him,
"Get away" he groaned fumbling around for an escape,
One of the people threatening him swung a chain with something on it's head around,
Rex groaned, "Great another mouth to fee-" as one of the humans, this one holding a metal bat drew too close to the man, who ducked it and broke his arm, stealing his weapon and swatted him with it, "ooh, strong boy isn't he?" he asked, he could do stuff with this kinda fighter, and fortunately for him, they were fighting in a car park,
He dropped down onto a pickup truck and quickly shut the alarm off before it had time to sound, quickly the door was opened and Rex entered, pulling the door shut, with one hand on the steering wheel he ordered the car 'On' and the engine roared to life, the headlights stunning his scared shitless prey as he revved the engine, he drove forward forcing the thugs to run, and showing the truck's holding bay to the man who seeing his escape leapt in, which Rex used as his sign to take off,
They tore down the road and left, Rex knew a chop shop that would accept the donation of a perfectly working car, he drove to it trying to at least appear as though he was a legal driver simply going to a perfectly legal mechanic at 5:pm,
At which point he dumped the car, and called to the guy, "C'mon, I'll take you somewhere safe," he said, and in response the man nodded and followed him,
Rex however wasn't stupid, he wasn't going to lead an Evo he just met and happened to come across to his secret hideout,
This after all wouldn't be the first time someone had used their knowledge of Rex's M.O. to try and take him out, some were with Quarry, trying to eliminate the competition or rise up through the ranks,
Other's were Evo's raised by Evo hunters, treated with the base kindness by their 'Rescuers' but used like slaves,
Some were assassin's, hired from the word 'Go' to eliminate Rex, and honestly he was flattered, but none had beaten him yet,
He looked through a reflective window and saw the guy calmly studying him, 'That's not a good sign,' he noted, as they passed it, he led the man to a storage facility, and opened the door letting him in,
As the man passed him he turned on the lights, and his eyes widened before narrowing, "No way," he said before following after him,
Rex knew this ''Man'' and he'd all to lately realised his mistake, the ''person'' turned to him, he was a man of Cuban decent, with a scar over one of his cheeks, he was a skilled young man,
He was also an Evo hitman of the mafia at the age of only fourteen, though that was a few years ago now, the dark haired figure drew out twin pistols, "Hey Rex," he said,
"Jackie," Rex nodded back, he knew he had to try and talk his way over to something that could help him, "so I take-" but as soon as he tried taking a single step Jackie shot the wall next to him,
"No Rex, no talking, no walking, no thinking," Jackie stated, "Quarry's problem enough, the boss doesn't want you messing with his shit anymore, so here's your choice, die to a bullet, or something worse," And with his piece said Jackie fired at Rex, who quickly ran the bullet missing him,
"Wrong move Rex," Jackie spat, but his guns didn't aim at Rex, but the lights,
Rex ran straight at a forklift he'd stolen and hidden here, he slapped his hand onto it's panel as Jackie destroyed what remained of the lights, flooding the area in darkness, as the forklift turned to direct it's prongs and headlights at him, two what appeared to be serpents with glowing amber eyes rose out of Jackie's shoulders, one had sharper teeth and the other had sharp looking spikes jutting out just below it's head Jackie's eyes also began glowing,
Rex activated the forklift's lights, they were the only defence he had against Jackie now, he drove on trying to get a good position to ram the hitman but Jackie ran around aiming now at Rex fully, sending shot after shot after him,
Rex stayed low and most of the bullets whizzed by his head, Jackie was taking care to not get caught in the headlights and it was there that Rex realised he couldn't win,
Thus he started turning trying to aim for the garage door, he went full speed ramming the door and tearing it apart, though two bullets popped the tires and Jackie ran after him, it was there that Rex realised how much the mob wanted him dead, as the lights of Shanghai, were gone, someone had shut off the power for this entire area of Shanghai, if not everywhere, all just to kill him,
With no power, there was no way he could do anything but highjack a car,
Which as Jackie's foot kicked him into the forklift's base, Rex knew there wasn't any time for,
He reached for the forklift trying to make it explode or something, but one of Jackie's snake things coiled around him and then slammed him into the ground, as Rex tried to rise two bullets hit his shoulders, "GAAAAHH!" he cried out as tears formed in his eyes,
The other snake thing approached him with a sadistic grin, and aimed at his head swatting him into the forklift, where Jackie's foot found him again, kicking him onto the ground where Rex tried to crawl away,
His mind raced, there had to be a way out of this, a way to win, he couldn't die here, no way was he gonna die to some mafioso goon Evo, he needed a plan, maybe he could call Quarry, or his ''friends'' and get them to back him up, they'd be here in no time, they had to be,
He could even see a phone in crawling distance, even if he knew the power was out, his mind refused to accept it, he'd get over there and make the call, Quarry would hear him and come to help him,
And of course Rex would last as long as it took for Quarry to get here,
But his thoughts stopped as the warm barrel of a gun pressed against his head,
Rex turned to look as the hitman's finger started to pull the trigger,
Rex's nanites were his Evo ability, he could control them, tell them what to do, and in this moment, Rex told them 'Save me'
And his Nanites responded, first his arms glowed as his nanites built something, and Rex's body responded, slowly his hand rose to uppercut the gun, but quickly out of his hand rose, a large block of metal that extended out past Rex's own arm, knocking the gun and by extension the bullet off course,
And with his other arm the Nanites made Rex throw another punch, this time at the hitman himself, and Jackie was sent flying as another large metal arm rose out and struck the mafioso sending him flying through a wall,
Rex looked down at his fists, having been changed into large metal hands, "Woah," he said, then looked up, seeing the rubble rise off of the Hitman,
Rex narrowed his eyes and used his hands to get back to his feet, and then ran for his life, he'd just been shot and needed a hospital, and the twin holes in his shoulders were beginning to ache,
As soon as the rubble were off Jackie he looked out to the dark streets and seeing no sign of Rex put his guns away, he pulled a phone out of his coat and called the boss, "He ran, had something I wasn't expecting, keep an eye out at the hospitals, I put two rounds through his shoulders," he said,
Rex ran through the city he used his arms to lift himself off the ground, and put himself on a roof, Jackie couldn't catch him if he was on a building, he looked at his metal hands and willed them away, and his nanites made the metal recede into his body, and as they did the adrenaline he had from the fight faded and he dropped down, but he was quick to pull out his phone, his nanites activated it and dialled someone he spoke into it as soon as he heard the other line pick up, "Help, I've been shot, on a roof by Chihaya's garag-," and then he was out, and as soon as he was the lights came back on, signifying the hunt was over,
When he finally awoke he found himself back at the hideout with the three watching him carefully,
"Rex?" Skwydd asked gently, "you okay?"
Rex squinted, at him, groaning, "I..." he shook his head, "water,"
Cricket was quick to hop over to the other side of the room and tried to get him a glass, but Tuck had already handed Rex a bottle he had waiting for him,
Rex greedily drank the water before Cricket hopped back over accidently splashing herself with most of it, "Here" she said, holding a glass to him with shaking hands, Rex took the glass, and took a sip from it before placing it on the floor,
He groaned and tried to get out of bed, but Skwydd was quick to push him back down, "Easy Rex," he said, "I just pulled two bullets out of your shoulders, you're not going anywhere until that heals," he said,
Rex nodded, "Seems your training came in handy after all,"
Skwydd shrugged, "Never figured I'd have to pull them out with these fingers," he said looking down at his mutated tentacle hands,
"Who shot you?" Cricket asked, "did you get a good look?"
"Yeah, it was Jackie," Rex said, "hitman freak wanted me dead, had a whole sting ready to catch me, I should've been more careful,"
"Hold on, that darkness freak wanted you dead?" Tuck asked,
"What you do to piss him off Rex?" Skwydd asked crossing his tentacle arms, and Cricket frowned at him,
"It wasn't him, he's a trigger," Rex said, "his boss wants to move on Quarry's turf, and for that he wanted me out the way,"
"But you're not with Quarry, so why come after you?" Cricket asked,
"That's not it," Tuck stated, "if they want Quarry out the way then it's best to clip the gang war here and now, and Rex being his own thing could've been opportunistic enough to throw in at the end,"
"But Rex wouldn't do that," Cricket said,
"They don't know that," Skwydd said, "they don't know Rex by anything but reputation,"
As the group talked Rex, for once took Quarry's advice to heart, and studied them,
'Tuck, laid back and easy going, he cruised through his life until he was changed, he only really had one skill and that was his parkour, but his evo mutation makes him resemble a mummy, and he's just as able to unravel himself like a mummies bandages,' he thought, turning his eyes to Skwydd,
'Cynical and sarcastic, Skwydd was training to be a nurse before he changed, had no training and just stayed away from problems, but his mutation makes him able to mimic his namesake creature, flexible arms, stretchy body, ink he can expel through his mouth,' he thought,
Then finally to Cricket, 'Before she changed Cricket was just a tomboy, she took a few classes of Tae kwon do, but her change made her a cricket, she can jump like she's on the moon and is always trying to inspire people,'
Just then Rex realised everyone was looking at him, "Er something you wanted to say boss?" Skwydd asked,
"Just been thinking," Rex said, "we're a pretty tough crew right?" he asked,
"Less so now that heads is gone," Tuck admitted,
"Right, and I wanted to say," he groaned and rolled over to look at them better, "why are we doing this?" he asked,
"Doing... what?" Tuck responded,
"Exactly," Rex said, "nobody messes with us, nobody, not Quarry, not the Evo hunters, not the Mafia," he stated, "but... all we do is stay out of the fighting,"
"Rex" Skwydd narrowed his eyes,
"Skwydd today I..." Rex squinted, "I don't know how to explain it, but I mutated again, but it's gone now," he said, "Jackie had me down, gun to my head, I was gonna die, but them my nanites changed my hands into these big... like metal block hands, and I knocked him through a wall,"
"Wait wait, you changed?" Cricket asked,
"But you look the same now," Tuck stated,
"I think I..." Rex clenched his hand, "I think..." he stopped, "help me up," he said,
Quickly Tuck and Cricket were at either side, they took his arms and lifted him out of bed, "Guys you shouldn't-" Skwydd stopped, "just be gentle alright?"
As Rex relied on his friends for the first time... well, since he'd called them, he held out his hand, and focused on the nanites in them, "okay little nanites, just like with Jackie," he said, and lines spread across his hand, it warped and changed as the big metal fist came out of it,
"Woah" Skwydd gasped,
"No way," Tuck breathed,
"Hell yeah," Cricket pumped her fist,
Rex smiled, "I'm just saying," he started, "with this we could crack a few skulls,"
OCTOPUS-The End-OCTOPUS
Has anyone done this kinda fic? where Rex doesn't ditch his old crew and instead sticks with them?
Had to invent a few whole other factions, Evo hunters, Mafioso, maybe more who knows?
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If you wanted to tell me to go fuck myself you can do that in the reviews or comments,
If you wanted to tell others to tell me to go fuck myself... well I'm sure you can figure that one out on your own,
Alright Imma go figure out what the fuck to do with Van Kleiss, or get drunk and make up some other story that I can't figure out again, or play fighting games until 5am get up at 6am and then keep drunking and fighting gamsing,