Feliz Sería Que Hora

by randelion-red

"It's been eight years since the explosion that changed life as we knew it. Five years since the disappearance of Greenville, Ohio. One year since Providence began training their secret weapon. And now; a revolution."

FOREWORD

This is a complementary rewrite/AU of Generator Rex with a focus on world-building and character relationships, most notably Breach/Rex in a very slow burn.

This work is not a substitute for the original animated series; the characters and settings are property of their respective owners.

PART I

THUM. THUM. THUM.

The sound of a hardened rubber ball echoed throughout the steel walls of the darkened cargo bay.

THUM.

And each of those bounces echoed with thunderous applause. But the young man didn't care about the noise he made—after all, he was located far enough from the other passengers onboard The Keep that the noise wouldn't be a bother to anyone; except for, perhaps, the only other passenger in the bay who was startled awake from his nap by the sudden creaking of metal that had begun to warp through repeated strikes. But the young man didn't care about the damage either. He seldom did, and the "damage" in this instance was nothing the flight-worthiness inspectors would even notice.

THUM.

It was a trivial thing, as was the expectation that he could be given a few updates on their ETA to the target, apparently. But then he thought it made no difference if he knew their current location because it wasn't his place to know. It was "more practical", "more efficient" for him to sit still in the most strategic location. And that just happened to be locked up in the dark—with nothing save for his only companion, a chimpanzee, and the only possession to his name besides his goggles and the other clothes on his person.

THUM.

Providence made it clear he didn't need more than that. Sure, it would have been nice to be treated with the benefits, or at the very least dignity, that the agents stationed above deck received. But Rex wasn't like the agents who handled things with the skill and professionalism of highly trained soldiers.

THUM.

He was a weapon.

T-H-U-M

"Maybe you need to lay off the sody pop, chief." Bobo joked only to get his signature fez to get knocked off. It was the only response Rex offered the chimpanzee, prompting Bobo—all-too-caring and entirely cognizant of Rex's desire to avoid conversation—to initiate a conversation after retrieving his hat. "You feelin' nervous about facing a level one?"

Rex gave the question a moment of thought before responding "Why would I? It's just a level one."

Bobo tapped on his head twice. "Smaller numbers mean scarier, remember?"

"Like Six...Doesn't that seem backwards to you? Like, you'd think the bigger the threat, the bigger the number." Rex rationalized while spreading his arms to act as a visual aid.

"I don't make the rules. I just repeat 'em whenever it makes me look good." Bobo explained with a sly grin.

"Right now, it's just making you look like a nerd." Rex taunted, prompting Bobo to change his expression to a comically exaggerated frown. "...Is that face supposed to read offended, or constipated?"

"Et tu, Rex? Feh. I guess no one appreciates the performing arts these days. You and all of them suits at the casinos..." he grumbled.

"I'm surprised any casino would let a monkey gamble."

"They only wise up when they catch me card counting." Rex snorted at that retort, which Bobo took as a sign that his guard was lowered enough to try the question again. "Seriously though, are you sure you're alright, kid?"

Rex opened his mouth to speak before pouting slightly and sighing heavily, letting the ambience of the cargo bay do all the talking. He had plenty to say, lots of grievances to air, but deciding where to start and how to articulate his was more exhausting than sitting through all the paperwork and all the standup meetings he was forced to attend nearly every hour of the day he wasn't spending getting manhandled by monsters; so, if he got into it then, he might not be in the right headspace to perform at his best—

"THE KEEP IS SITUATED OVER THE TARGET. A LANDING SITE HAS BEEN DESIGNATED FOR SQUADRON ONE, PREPARE FOR DESCENT" a providence agent announced over the intercom.

"Finally." Rex sighed before picking himself up and pacing towards the cargo hatch. He'd vent to Bobo some other time, because he was now thousands of feet above a situation in desperate need of intervention and he was nothing if not a man of action.

And so, letting his impatience and blatant disregard for procedure get the best of him, as always, he rested his gloved hand against the wall and instructed the nanomachines inside his body to open the door. Glowing circuits of nanoscopic machinery extended from his palm into the various mechanisms of The Keep, and within a few short seconds the hatch to the world below opened and revealed a grid of buildings and streets occasionally obscured by fast moving clouds.

"Race you to the bottom." With a smirk on his face and his goggles lowered over his eyes, he jumped from the ship without any hesitation and instinctively cheered out: "WOOO-HOOOO!"

Most people would be terrified at the prospect of free falling towards the ground at a speed of one hundred and eighty miles per hour without so much as a parachute on their back, but Rex wasn't like most people. Like the monstrous aberration below him he was an EVO too, but one with complete control over his nanites—the ability to tell them what to do.

That meant he could do things like build giant mechanical gauntlets with nothing more than a thought and the pull of latent nanites in the environment around him; and when his metallic fist connected with one of the EVO's many faces, the force of the impact forced the EVO to the ground with a KRAKOW!, sending vehicles, lampposts, and other forms of debris flying across several city blocks in a massive cloud of dust.

And when the cloud of dust settled, Rex withdrew his build, triumphantly stepped forward, and took off his goggles to get a better look at the EVO, who scowled at him as it struggled to pick itself up. "Getting up, monster guy? Cool, I haven't had any fun yet." He taunted while cracking his knuckles. "I'm Rex. Now thrill me."

---

A few minutes was all it took for Rex to defeat the former EVO, extract the corrupted nanites from his body, and have his own abilities, or rather, his public existence as the one and only cure revealed to the world during a live broadcast of Ultimate Exposure.

A fitting name, that.

But the tabloid-level program, which was certain to grow in notoriety or prestige after that stream, merely broadcasted what three individuals personally witnessed from the shadows of nearby rooftops—which for them, was confirmation of their biggest hopes and worst fears about Rex. And despite them having vague knowledge of Rex's existence for months, with their leader having surveilled his every step during every one of his field missions with Providence, the multi-armed young woman in the group recalled this being the first time she laid eyes on him in person.

"And what a sight he is…" she thought while peering slightly closer over the edge. This was the one Van Kleiss spoke so much about: Rex Salazar, The Machine King.

He looked nothing like the little boy Van Kleiss made him out to be. He was a young man, no older than herself by the looks of it, if not slightly younger, and one who had the height and build one would expect of a living weapon. Modestly tall. Exceptionally built. Remarkably powerful. Yet none of those traits appeared to contradict his humanity, she mused while watching him carry the naked man, the same man who attempted to crush, melt, and maul him to death just moments ago, to nearby paramedics with the utmost dignity and care.

After everything she had seen over the past several years, she started to believe that strength and kindness were mutually exclusive traits in anyone outside of Abysus; but she was pleasantly surprised to be so wrong and started a mental catalogue of Rex's more interesting traits that her leader neglected to mention, starting with the very way he talked.

Sure, she couldn't hear a single word he said from that distance, but she read his lips with the intensity of a hawk and took note of several observations: among them was his propensity to smile, and crack jokes that no one seemed to laugh at, and pout like a puppy when he was nervous or afraid or being chastised. She found it fascinating, for the lack of a better word; though adorable wasn't sufficient to convey the gravity of the pull these features had on her; and beautiful was too flowery a word to describe someone who carried himself with as much bravado as he did.

The best way she could put it, if anyone were to ask for her opinion of him, was that she was nearly blinded by the sort of brilliance that emanated from him—he reflected the good in those he encountered much the same way the moon reflected the light of the sun.

...Or such was her initial impression of him, anyway, and she fully acknowledged the fact that these feelings were tantamount to nothing more than a burgeoning schoolgirl crush. At the same time, she rationalized that an EVO as powerful and important as herself would naturally take interest in another such individual like Rex, and by extension, the prospect of becoming acquainted with him personally—but only if she was permitted the opportunity to do so, however, as her leader was very particular about the kinds of relationships the members of his inner circle were allowed to form.

She would have to come up with a proper argument to justify her intentions, but for now, all she could do was watch a jump jet carrying Rex and the other Providence agents take off. And once the jet was gone, the wolf-like EVO beside her began to speak: "Let us tell Van Kleiss what we saw."

With no reason to stay in the area any longer, the young woman nodded in agreement and opened a red rift through space with a simple gesture of her larger hands. Once she and the others stepped through, the portal disappeared and they kneeled before a sickly looking man who was too busy tending to a garden to notice them.

After continuing to kneel a few seconds longer and exchanging concerned looks, the wolf-like EVO cleared his throat and began to address their leader: "Master, we have returned from our excursion."

"Ah, Biowulf. I didn't hear you arrive." He muttered before coughing twice and struggling to stand on his own. Biowulf leapt forward to help Van Kleiss to his feet and whimpered at the sight of his complexion.

"You look unwell, master. Breach will summon nourishment at once—"

"Down, Biowulf. You know that I haven't been responding well to anything recently."

"You haven't even attempted to feed today, have you? Breach! Fetch one of the prisoners this instant—"

"HEEL! " Van Kleiss shouted with authority. Biowulf did as instructed and stepped away to stand beside the other two Evos. "Good boy." He said in a much softer tone. "I know you mean well, but we have more pressing matters to address. I trust you all had the opportunity to see Rex in action?"

"Yes, master." "Yuh-huh." "We did."

The EVOs spoke in unison.

"And? What are your thoughts?" Van Kleiss prompted while leaning on a cane fashioned from a vine he just summoned.

"It is as you said, the boy shows promise. Though his combat prowess leaves much be desired." Biowulf huffed, speaking first as usual. "He brought down a gargantuan EVO with a singular strike, but he was overconfident and struggled to cure that same EVO for minutes after the fact."

"...You mean to tell me that Rex, himself, is the cure? And that he can EVOs of that magnitude with ease?" Van Kleiss inquired with palpable interest.

"It would appear so..."

For months, there were murmurs and whispers amongst his inside agents at Providence that the organization had devised a cure to the exponential variegation that resulted in EVOs.

At first Van Kleiss dismissed it as a mere rumor, a wicked tale meant to inspire "hope" in a credulous world that desperately wanted EVOs gone. But knowing what he did about Rex—the first EVO of the modern era and the youngest member of a family of visionary scientists, loathed as he was to admit it—he took his informants' at their word and surmised the young Salazar had a hand in developing a cure. Though he could have never anticipated that Rex was both Providence's secret weapon and the cure.

"...Frightening as it may sound, this is good. Ideal, even. The ability to control the EVO population without containing or murdering them lies solely with Rex, not Providence, so whomever he chooses to ally himself with has leverage over the rest of the world; leverage that Abysus could wield to great effect."

"Well said, master."

"What say you, Skalamander?" Van Kleiss asked while pointing his cane towards the crystalline lizard-man.

"I dunno. We all know he's tough, no doubt about it, but I hate that he could cure any one of us whenever he wanted to, and I think he'd be eager to do it just cause. I wouldn't put it past anyone under the constant influence of Providence propaganda."

"Thank you for speaking earnestly." Van Kleiss responded bluntly. "I've considered the possibility and have yet to formulate a contingency, truth be told. For now, let us pray he believes in our cause."

"I don't think it'll be hard to convince him." Breach chimed.

"What was that, Breach?"

"Nothing." She mumbled in a self-conscious sort of way.

"Nonsense. You've every right to speak your opinion as well, so speak."

"He seems nice. Or sufficient, I mean." She quickly clarified, but not quickly enough for Van Kleiss to brush off her initial comment.

"What exactly do you mean by nice?"

"He likes to help people, and make jokes that don't seem to be very funny, and—"

"How are these traits relevant to our mission?" He squinted.

"Yeah. If you want to see a clown so bad why don't you head to the circus?" Skalamander chuckled at his own joke and stopped once the other EVOs stared daggers at him.

"Abysus is a sanctuary, the promised land, but not everyone sees it that way because it's a nation of EVOs." Breach began.

"People often fear what they do not understand." Van Kleiss remarked.

"Yet it doesn't take much to understand Rex. He's bold, he's brash, but above all he's brilliant—not like a genius, but a shining star, and everyone back there was drawn to that light like moths to a flame. If we want to win this war, we need—Abysus needs—someone as radiant as he is."

Van Kleiss frowned. He didn't like the implication of her words, and the rising curiosity she expressed in him the past several days certainly didn't help. "It sounds like you think rather highly of him."

"I wouldn't vouch for him if I didn't." she pouted defensively. Van Kleiss wasn't satisfied with that response either, and with his concerns beginning to mount he interrogated her further.

"But why so modest, Breach? Are you not a beacon of hope yourself? All of Abysus sings your praises."

"And my name is cursed everywhere else. I know my role, and how others loathe it…"

"And you think that would change if Rex were by your side? Or that his company would at least make it more tolerable?"

"Wouldn't it? You've been going on and on these past several months about how important he is to Abysus and Evokind and now you're acting like he isn't!" She whined.

"Watch your tone." Biowulf growled.

"Biowulf." Van Kleiss gestured to his right-hand. "Breach, I have no doubt that you're putting Abysus first, as you always do. And I can only empathize with the kind of stress that comes from your role, in particular. So please, help me understand your perspective lest I unjustly dismiss it."

"…I just have a feeling that things would be better if he joined us." She practically stammered.

"There's that dreaded word. Feeling." With a heavy sigh, Van Kleiss walked forward and looked her directly in the eyes. "It can't be helped if he strikes your fancy, but under no circumstances should you actually entertain any feelings for him or anyone working so closely with the enemy." he stated sternly.

"That's not what I meant—"

"You know better than to lie to me, Breach. Don't let fleeting attraction interfere with the goals we seek to accomplish! Our personal desires, however innocuous they may seem, are secondary to the glory of our nation. Am I understood?" He finished with his fist raised to his chest.

"...I understand." Breach practically mumbled while bringing a smaller fist to her chest and looking off to the side.

"I trust you do. So, now that our opinions of Rex have been laid bare, let us see to recruiting him this evening."

The trio's eyes widened in response to Van Kleiss's demand. Did he misspeak? Surely he didn't mean to suggest they would bring him to Abysus the same day, they all thought.

"Since no one else is gonna say it, this evening?" Skalamander spat out in disbelief.

"I hate to agree, but this seems too sudden, master."

"You question my judgement?"

"Never, only the expeditiousness of this mission. We hardly have time to prepare—"

Van Kleiss chuckled before coughing violently and addressing the group once more. "How astute of you. I am, indeed, making a desperate request of you three. But I know you're capable of carrying it out, and I would like to see it happen while I'm still around to do so. The future of Abysus, no, the fate of all Evokind is contingent on Rex joining us voluntarily. So do what you do best—bring him home." He added before letting go of his cane, letting the root sink between the cracks of the castle, and continuing to tend to his personal garden of herbs and roots.

---

Breach's comments weren't entirely unfounded, Biowulf acknowledged internally. In the process of maintaining his dignity, to the ire of miscreants who only sought to use him, he appeared to have made friends with at least one person his age, and one who seemed to respect him despite being an EVO. The company Rex chose to keep spoke volumes about his character, though it would take a lot more than that to earn his approval and that would have to wait until after he was recruited.

Unfortunately for them, the unexpected presence of Rex's new friend, a human bystander at that, no less than an hour ago introduced a slight wrinkle in their plan to approach Rex after he wound up playing hooky as Van Kleiss predicted he would.

"Is the blonde still there? What is he doing? What is he saying? What is he—" Skalamander asked incessantly to an increasingly irritable Biowulf.

"Silence! If any significant developments occur I will inform you both. Until then, keep a low profile and let. Me. Focus." Biowulf growled. The blinding light reflecting off the chimpanzee's handguns as he polished them was distracting enough already, so it was even more of a struggle to concentrate on Rex's conversation with Skalamander constantly diverting his attention elsewhere.

Breach, meanwhile, was pacing back and forth in place, watching Rex and his new friend talk and laugh with a hint of longing on her face. She was tempted to teleport down there and casually introduce herself the way that shaggy-haired stranger was apparently able to; or perhaps she would completely disregard Van Kleiss' orders and send him to Abysus without any regards to his feelings. If Rex couldn't be recruited as a friend or an ally, then he could be taken by force as a prisoner and it would probably make no difference to Van Kleiss' grand agenda, whatever it was...but as frustrated as she felt, that idea didn't really sit well with her.

For the most part, anyways.

Before she could dwell on the idea for too long, however, Biowulf's ears perked up and he whined upon spotting the familiar silhouettes of Providence vehicles just on the horizon. "Jump jets approaching! Take cover, now!" He instructed, causing all three members of the Pack to scramble underneath an overhang to be obscured by shadow as the agents descended and eventually zeroed in on Rex's location.

"Argh, they're gonna take him away!" Skalamander huffed dejectedly.

"Wait." Biowulf interjected, paying close attention to Rex's words, posture, and overall demeanor.

Providence was there for Rex, but he seemed ready to confront them instead: "Hey Six. What's with the goons?" Rex tilted his chin towards the small army of soldiers, fully armed and with their fingers on the triggers of their rifles.

"If you want to act like an unruly EVO, you'll be treated like one; supervised around the clock by two squadrons until you can demonstrate the basic capacity to follow orders."

"No way—y!" Rex exclaimed with faux enthusiasm. "Does that mean I get my very own squad of agents to tuck me in at night? Maybe scrub my back in the shower? How about wipe my ass before I flush?" Rex continued while slowly approaching Agent Six. "I bet I can't even jerk off without Providence's say-so." He growled only a few inches away from Agent Six's face, by which point the Providence agents all had their guns drawn and aimed directly at Rex. "…I'm curious Six. What do you think would happen if Providence finally pulled the trigger?"

"You don't want to play this game kid." Six growled in a tone he had never used with Rex before. He sounded stern on the best of days, but his tone at that moment indicated a level of patience that had long been exhausted and Rex was suddenly nervous to see what remained in its place, stumbling a step back as Six took one forward. But despite Agent Six's intimidation tactic, Rex was no less agitated than he was before. "Providence has managed without you for the better part of five years. And if our superiors decide to neutralize you like every other EVO that can't be contained, we'll carry on just as we had before. Think, is that really what you want?"

"Is that what I want?" Rex repeated in bewilderment. "Do you really want to know what I want, Six?" He repeated once more with an offended chuckle. "How about a room bigger than a broom closet? Or just freaking—one that isn't a broom closet! Some time to sleep, a seat on deck, being treated like a goddamn human!" Rex shouted at Six, whose eyebrows furrowed in the realization that Rex was hurting in all the ways Doctor Holiday claimed he was earlier that day, and for many day before that one, too.

The surrounding agents tensed up, their hands quaking slightly in preparation of squeezing the trigger, but Agent Six raised his fist in an unspoken command for them to point their rifles down completely as he did his best to defuse Rex's emotional outburst. "Rex, calm down—" he suggested, blissfully unaware that those were the poorest combination of words he could have chosen.

"I'm not backing down, Six! I'm sick and tired of this shit, sick and tired of Providence!" Rex continued to shout at a level that even Skalamander and Breach could hear in the distance. To everyone present, The Pack, the Providence agents, and Noah, it sounded an awful lot like Rex was on the verge of defecting from Providence, and tempted as Biowulf was to seize the opportunity and offer Rex an escape route now, he scratched at the floor to curb his enthusiasm and wait a bit longer for Rex to be at his most susceptible.

"I know how important I am, I know how much all of you need me, and I want to help! I actually want to help, but then I'm treated this way and forced into meetings that don't matter and never told anything that does matter and get told off for taking down EVOs before anyone gets hurt!"

"You get reprimanded for disobeying orders—" Six attempted to clarify to no avail.

"And I'll keep disobeying orders if they keep me from saving lives! Sorry that Providence values property more than people, but I know what my priorities are."

"It's never that simple." He continued while shaking his head in disapproval. If Rex were more receptive, if Rex would just listen to his mentor for once, Agent Six thought, he would understand the way the world truly works and properly communicate his issues.

"Oh yeah? Then let me make it simple:" Closing the distance between Agent Six and himself, Rex took out his earpiece, dropped it to the ground, stomped on it with the heel of his boot grinding it further into the pavement, and boldly declared to the world: "I quit."

"…Don't make this more difficult than it has to be." Six stated with a grip on the handles of the blades sheathed within his sleeves.

"I'm not. Going. Back." Rex stated back with the nanites in his body beginning to vibrate.

If there was ever a moment to recruit Rex, it was then: after stepping up to the face of the highest ranking soldier there, his own mentor and guardian at that, and told him he wasn't going back with them, prompting Biowulf to declare: "The boy has defected. This is our chance!"

"To do what, take them all?" Skalamander blurted out.

"We've never faced these many soldiers before!" Breach panicked.

"We will keep the agents occupied while you do your part." He instructed Breach with a claw pointed at her chest. "He must come voluntarily."

"How am I supposed to—?"

"Figure it out!" Biowfulf snarled before slashing open the fence and pointing once again, this time at Agent Six. Skalamander understood this unspoken command as instruction to fire and unloaded two jagged crystals to separate the green-suited agent from Rex. The move was effective, almost lethally so with one of the projectiles clipping Agent Six's tie before piercing the ground; and with the two most dangerous individuals separated, Biowulf sprang into action, followed immediately by Skalamander and then lastly by Breach who hesitated for just a moment.

After frantically dodging several clips worth of bullets, Breach leapt into the air and threw several portals at a group of Providence agents standing between her and Rex. The exhilaration of combat and anticipation of formally meeting Rex after all this time made her dizzy in a nauseating way—what would she say? What would he say? And why did she suddenly feel a sharp pain at the side of her head ?

Regarding her final question, she intuited that it was the swift heel of Rex's nanny that was responsible for sending her flying several feet off the side and into the pavement.

Cursing the fact that the superior durability of most EVOs didn't translate to a higher tolerance for pain, especially in regard to a kick that would have scrambled the brains of a regular person, Breach crawled into a portal to recuperate in the safety of Abysus' borders while Biowulf continued his assault and Skalamander blocked off Rex in an attempt to shield him and his allies from collateral damage.

Noble as his intentions were, Rex didn't perceive it that way and extended a mighty, machine-enhanced punch at Skalamander that threw him off-balance.

"Stay behind me, I'll handle the crystal croc!" Rex mostly assured Noah, as Bobo was already occupied providing supporting fire against Biowulf.

Skalamander thought that the speed at which Rex was able to build his machines was incredible but had no interest in being acquainted with how it felt to be repeatedly pummeled by them; and so, Skalamander desperately raised his arms in surrender and attempted to reason with Rex: "Easy! Easy kid! We're on your side!"

"Can't say I'm on anyone's side right now! Let alone yours!" Rex countered before sporting a stance to throw several more punches. Weary about tanking another serious hit, Skalamander braced his scales and intercepted one of Rex's Smack Hands the third time it connected, encasing it in a crystal pillar that immobilized his entire right arm.

"How about EVOkind? Providence wants to lock up or kill every last one of us in case you haven't heard!"

"It kills me that EVOs like you justify them!" He shouted back before activating the drill mode of his Smack Hands and continuing to box Skalamander. "And in case you haven't heard, I can cure EVOs, too!" He threatened with a grin before withdrawing his Smack Hands, closing the distance, and placing his hands on Skalamander.

"Oh no you don't!" Skalamander barked before grabbing Rex's jacket with his three smaller arms, spinning him around, and tossing him into Bobo and Noah.

The exertion of the maneuver and the sheer panic at having almost been "cured" caused Skalamander to pant profusely and lash out at Rex. "What's wrong with you!? It's not like we're hurting anyone—!" Skalamander cried out before being interrupted by a Providence agent bouncing off a concrete wall and leaving behind a massive crack in the formation. "It's not like we're killing anyone!" he clarified.

"How thoughtful—doesn't change the fact you attacked us first!" Rex countered as blue streaks of nanites materialized on his hands in anticipation of a build.

"You think Providence would let you go without a fight? They'll do anything to keep you under their control, we want to change that!"

Rex didn't have a quip prepared for that one. Obviously Providence was prepared to keep him at all costs, even if it meant soldiers had to lay down their life to return him to headquarters, as he was their most valuable asset for his ability to cure EVOs or decommission them with minimal assistance…But that's all he was, wasn't it? An asset, a tool, a weapon—

"STOP. Calm down Rex, keep it together…" Rex told himself as he struggled to build another pair of Smack Hands and held his head. "Can't have a repeat of this morning. You're better than that. You gripe, but you know Providence has your back. Three EVOs is nothing we can't handle. We—"'

"Rex! We can help you if you let us!" a mysterious voice cried out from behind him, causing his blood to turn cold and his perception of time to freeze in its tracks. With his neck being stiff as it was, all he could do in that split-second was rotate his trunk and turn his eyes to see where that shrill voice came from—and he was surprised to see it came from a passionate young woman on the other side of a red portal.

An EVO, it seemed, but the most human looking one he had encountered so far, disregarding her multiple arms and skin as bleach white as, well, his boss. But the peculiarities of her appearance were the last thing on his mind. In truth, he was more concerned with a series of several other questions, like how did this stranger know his name? Why was she making such a proposition? And what, or where, was on the other side of the portal that she appeared to have opened?

He didn't trust these EVOs one bit, but his curiosity had piqued; and if they were only interested in him, then it was well-worth tagging along to get some answers and end the skirmish before anyone sustained any grievous injuries. But before he could surrender himself, Agent Six took notice of Breach's portal and responded by retrieving a cylindrical device from his coat pocket and activating it, causing the young woman to reel in pain and use her larger hands to pry the portal open before it caved in.

"Phase scrambler!" Biowulf shouted as he swatted away another agent. "Skalamander, we leave NOW!" He barked before blitzing towards the group at full speed. And with his arms extended wide he tackled Skalamander, Rex, Bobo, and Noah through the portal and into Breach. In a panic, Agent Six deactivated the phase scrambler and raced in pursuit of Biowulf, but he couldn't keep up with the EVO's tremendous speed and slammed his fist into the ground when the portal closed right before him.

PART II

Elsewhere, in a crimson forest with a blood-red sky, several EVOs and one young man flew through the rift and crashed into Breach at full force. The inertia of the collision sent the six of them careening across the grassy turf and suffering various minor afflictions through the process; though Biowulf and Noah landed unscathed, with the wolf-like EVO managing to roll into his landing with Noah securely cradled in his arms before unceremoniously dropping him to the ground.

"Pardon my approach." Biowulf apologized while kneeling before the group. "Rest here while I fetch our master. We won't take long." With a huff, he planted his claws into the ground and sprinted to his master on all fours at a feral velocity.

"Like we got a choice…" Bobo wheezed while slowly picking himself up.

Meanwhile, Rex, who was far more accustomed to taking blows and was already on his feet, helped Bobo up before extending a hand to his new friend, Noah. "You good, dude?"

"Ugh—h, I…think I got a concussion. A werewolf just clotheslined me, dude." Noah wheezed as Rex practically lifted him off the ground.

"My doctor can take a look at you later. She's super nice and just as pretty, you'll love her." Rex assured Noah before patting him twice on the back and propping him against a nearby tree. And once he was set, Rex set his sights on the young woman who drew his attention.

He quickly assessed her appearance in the few seconds it took to approach her—a skill ingrained in him by Agent Six during his many, many risk-assessment training sessions at Providence. And a risk she did seem, having seemingly teleported them to who knows where and sporting an extra pair of limbs about as large as his torso.

Procedure suggested that he seize this opportunity and restrain her before she had the chance to do anything else, but at that moment he chose not to. Not out of rebellion against procedure, as usually would have been the case, but rather curiosity at meeting another humanoid EVO and one who appeared to be around his age. And so, he recalled the advice of Doctor Holiday which was to always treat women with dignity and respect, and he would demonstrate these traits by helping her up as well—even if every rational bone in his body was screaming at him not to.

"Hey, are you alright?" Rex asked while kneeling to her level and extending a hand. For some reason beyond her understanding, whether it was shyness or pride or some other third thing, she refused to take his hand, let alone look him in his dark chocolate-brown eyes, and stood up on her own as did Skalamander a short distance away. Rex, conversely, backed up slowly to get in closer proximity of his allies, and once the opposing EVOs were confidently standing on their feet he began asking them questions.

"So, what is this place and who is your 'master'?" Rex asked in a no-nonsense tone with his fist clenched and covered in glowing streaks of nanites.

"This is the promised land," Breach responded with a greeting sort of pose which suggested to Rex the fighting was over with and to rein back any machines he was prepared to build. Skalamander liked this answer, thinking that they shouldn't divulge too much information before Biowulf and Van Kleiss returned; and he hoped that Breach would be able to stall them for as long as it took as she was far more capable of holding up a conversation between the both of them, even if her mannerisms were far more on the eccentric side. "And our master is our employer and leader and ruler of this place." Breach elaborated while sashaying closer. "He will answer any questions you have."

"That's great and all, but what if I just want to know where the bathroom is?" Bobo whined while wobbling up and down. "I don't think portals and tacos are a winning combo…"

"Look around." Skalamander grunted. The three newcomers did as instructed and saw nothing but trees, bushes, and other signs of nature as far as the eye could see.

"I'm house broken." Bobo stressed. As practical as Skalamander's suggestion was, Bobo wasn't too keen on the implication. And so, Skalamander side-eyed Breach who groaned before stepping forward and struggling to open a portal which she hastily tossed at Skalamander and Bobo before it shrunk into nothingness.

"I sent them to the castle. We will wait for Biowulf to return." she huffed, having no desire to create any more rifts after fighting against a phase scrambler and getting tackled by everyone.

"Fine by me, there's something I wanted to ask you anyway." Rex replied.

"I already said—"

"Just one question! I promise I won't tell." Rex insisted with a reassuring smile as he slowly approached her again.

Breach pouted at his persistence. Van Kleiss wouldn't like the sight of her fraternizing with "the enemy", as he put it, and given how quickly Biowulf could travel on foot she was certain they would be back any second. The smart thing to do would have been to brush him off or tell him off…but then she looked directly into his eyes and suddenly didn't feel so smart.

He was easily taller than her by a foot, if not more, so she had to tilt her head up by several degrees to properly see his face—and rather than making her feel small, she felt on the same level as him when he looked back down at her. Even during her finer moments, people usually didn't bother to look at her mostly concealed face. But he did, and with a smile, too. A warm, luminous smile that made her want to reciprocate his approachability by humoring him and answering his question.

"Just one question." She specified with a finger pointing to the sky, and that response seemed to make his smile glow all the brighter.

"A moment ago, you said my name…Have I seen you before?"

Suddenly Breach felt a cold chill at the possibility they had been spotted during one of their reconnaissance efforts. But the fear she felt at this possibility was replaced by an unknown feeling that was magnitudes worse when Rex drew even closer and gingerly brushed aside the strands of hair that covered her face, revealing tired albeit wide-open eyes of a hue somewhere between a dull jade and polished sea glass. Rex might've been able to identify the exact color if he looked long enough, and there was a part of him that really wanted to—a recess of his brain that was previously thought to have been lost, trying desperately to reconnect with his present stream of memories.

"There's something familiar about your face—" He explained while studying her eyes, nose, and lips with a level of concentration that sent her heart racing and might well have caused it to burst through her chest were it not for Noah loudly clearing his throat and pulling Rex aside.

"Excuse us for a moment, miss." Noah told Breach with a service worker smile before turning around and banging his forehead against Rex's.

"Rex! What the hell is your problem?" he whisper-shouted.

"What are you talking about—?"

"Ever heard of this thing called personal space? Or the tier-system, maybe!? Points for taking initiative, but you can't just get up close and personal with a girl when you don't even know her name! There're rules to flirting, an order of things—"

"¿¡Que wha!? That wasn't—I wasn't—" Rex stammered before turning away from Noah to give Breach an apologetic bow. "Sorry for being weird." Breach could only manage a squeak in response before Rex turned back around and butted heads with Noah to make his case. "Like I was saying, I was not flirting with her! I just thought I might've seen her face somewhere!"

"What face? I'm surprised you can see anything under those overgrown bangs!"

"Yeah, that's why I had to move her hair out of the way, dumbass!" Rex continued to argue, much to the embarrassment of Breach who was glad her hair concealed most of her face with how red it was turning. Fortunately for her, she wouldn't have to endure such gut-wrenching embarrassment much longer as Van Kleiss and Biowulf had arrived.

Mounting Biowulf like a loyal steed, Van Kleiss expertly rode the EVO with a trail of flowers following behind them, along with every tree in their path bending around him to form one long, continuous archway. The gaps between the branches resulted in streaks of light which further framed his regal appearance, and despite being worryingly thin and only slightly less pale than Breach, he sat upright with the dignity and prestige of royalty, which was only complimented by his waist-length hair flowing elegantly in the wind like a fish down a river.

"I guess that's their master. Act impressed." Noah suggested while bowing slightly.

"Not acting." Rex confessed back before stepping forward and hailing the king with a casual wave. "I've never met an EVO who could control nature." In his one year of practical experience, he had encountered plants turned into Evos and creatures whose EVO transformation caused them to resemble plants, but both types of Evos could only control their own bodies and not the environment around them. So, seeing this man—who also looked somewhat familiar despite Rex having never been briefed on him or his appearance—achieve such a feat was a curious matter indeed.

"I doubt any EVO is truly capable of such a thing," Van Kleiss affirmed before a spiral of roots hoisted him off of Biowulf, carried him to the ground, and weaved together into a makeshift cane. "My relationship with it is, however, unique." He paused to smile warmly and then formally introduced himself. "It is I, Van Kleiss, and I welcome you both to Abysus: sanctuary to all Evos."

"Sanctuary? You'd think Providence would mention a place like this." Van Kleiss' eyebrows scrunched together—that wasn't the response he was hoping for. Perhaps it was idealistic to assume that Rex would somehow recognize him despite his condition, but still.

"Considering how different our goals are I'm only moderately surprised." Van Kleiss mused. "We can discuss this and any other questions you must surely have over dinner. Breach, if you would?" At his behest, Breach attempted to open up a portal to no avail. After a few seconds of trying and failing to create anything substantial, Van Kleiss raised his hand as a signal for her to stop.

"You'll have to forgive me," He chuckled. "I have an unfortunate habit of pushing her past exertion. Let us walk to the castle instead." After tapping his cane against the ground twice, the entire forest floor around them moved forward like an autowalk at a speed that rivaled Biowulf's sprint. And despite their excellent pace, Van Kleiss insisted on leisurely strolling along this moving path and everyone followed suit.

"So, your name is Breach?" Rex asked, to which Breach responded with a polite nod. "That checks out. I'm Rex—but I guess you already knew that."

"She, Biowulf, and Skalamander are my trusted consorts and the ones who escorted you here." Van Kleiss explained. "I've been watching you for some time, waiting for the right opportunity to meet again."

"You make it sound like we've met before. Not that I'm calling you a liar, but—"

"You have no way of confirming the truth, given your amnesiac episodes. I was under the impression it was only anterograde, but it seems you no longer recognize me in the slightest."

"Yeah, well, don't feel too bad about it. Some days I don't remember what I had for breakfast, let alone anything about my past." He shrugged with a somber tone to his voice, and at that moment Van Kleiss was surprised by how forthcoming Rex had become since they last met nearly a decade ago.

"Is that so? We have even more to discuss, in that case." And upon seeing the forest clearing, he smiled before turning around and spreading his arms wide. "But first, why don't you feast your eyes on our glorious kingdom?" When the strip of land carrying the five of them emerged from the dense forest, they were greeted to the sight of tens upon thousands of Evos working fields, doing trade, playing games, giving tours, and living a calm, peaceful life in every conceivable way. Van Kleiss likened the view to the centermost panel of The Garden of Earthly Delights; and every time he saw it, he was reminded how it was the only place in the world that contested the narrative that surrounded Evos and felt his desire to protect his paradise from the rest of the world rekindled.

"There's so many EVOs…" Rex muttered with an awestruck look to his face that Van Kleiss, Biowulf, and Breach were very content with.

"And a lot more humans than you'd expect there to be." Noah added with cautious admiration.

"EVO or not, those who have been cast aside by their families, nations, and Providence are all welcome here." From the corner of his eye, Rex noticed that something about Van Kleiss' statement caused Noah to look away with a melancholic look on his face. "Most of the humans here are relatives of Evos who wanted to stay united with their families," he elaborated, "Though it isn't uncommon to find others who are sympathetic to our cause—" Van Kleiss's explanation was interrupted by a group of children riding several rhinoceros-looking Evos frantically waving and hollering to get their attention.

"I told you guys, it's her! Breach!" "Hiya, portal lady!" "¡La Bruja Blanca!" "Hi Breach! Heyyy!"

The children screamed and cheered.

Breach gave the children a lazy wave of acknowledgement that sent them into a frenzy, all while looking the other direction as she was too embarrassed to reveal so much as a hint of the prideful smile that formed on her face.

"The White Witch?" Rex repeated with a smug grin, causing Breach to retreat even further.

"One of many nicknames that the younger denizens have affectionately given Breach." Van Kleiss beamed as the children began to ride away from the group, waving all the while. "Seeing how she transported nearly all of them to this safe haven, it's only natural they would idolize her. If Biowulf is the sword and Skalamander is the shield, then she is undoubtedly the heart of this country."

Rex let out an impressed whistle. "I can count the number of times I've been thanked for doing my job on one hand. It must feel nice being recognized as a hero." Rex complimented Breach with a gentle nudge from his elbow—and without a word she gracefully stepped off the moving strip of land and quickly shrunk away from view, much to the chagrin of Van Kleiss.

"Don't mind her, she must be…overwhelmed, by all the attention." He explained with a tinge of disappointment to his voice. "Overwhelmed by all the attention she's been receiving from you." He further thought, making a mental note to discipline Breach for this transgression. But that would be a conversation for another time, he acknowledged, as the four who remained had finally arrived at the gates of castle Abysus and took their first steps into its grand halls. "Biowulf, would you kindly escort our other guest to the dining hall? Rex and I will be taking a slight detour before we join."

Rex shot Noah a look of concern, but when Noah responded with a nod of understanding he temporarily cast his worries aside and reluctantly followed Van Kleiss.

The hallways were as long as the ceilings were high, and the stonework of the floors and walls looked ancient and surprisingly unkempt for what otherwise seemed like a modern nation. For Van Kleiss to debase himself by occupying such an estate meant that he was extraordinarily modest or dreadfully uninspired, Rex thought. And then they entered the throne room and he stopped in his tracks just to process all the ornamentation:

Stained glass windows with figures that clearly depicted Van Kleiss; corners, curtains, and bookshelves that were trimmed with the same gold alloy that adorned Van Kleiss' gauntlet and uniform; intricate carvings of the nation's insignia etched into the tables, walls, and ceiling; and drapes that were more red than the finest rubies or the skies above.

So much for modesty.

"Impressive, is it not?" Van Kleiss boasted as he approached his throne. "Eight years ago, on this very spot, is where it all began. The so-called nanite event. After decades of research, the dream to create nanoscopic machines became real! Famine, disease, and inequality were all to become things of the past—and they would have been, had the project not been sabotaged by those who were too eager to see the fruits of their labor. Against the wishes of the wisest of their number, they inadvertently gave birth to a new age; and a violent birth it was. It was the day that everything changed. It was the day EVOs came to be." Van Kleiss sat down on his throne, pausing to catch his breath and wipe his brow. "Your abilities are a testament to the many wondrous properties of nanites—yet your Providence sees it as a plague, something to be destroyed."

"It'd be a different story entirely if all EVOs were like you, me, and your people"

"You forget yourself." Van Kleiss waved his hand as if it could bat away Rex's rebuttal. "When I said this place accepted all EVOs, I meant it; even those who are unable to control their new forms are treated with the same dignity and respect as any other person, only restricted to whatever extent is necessary to ensure their own safety and that of others."

To Rex's concern, Van Kleiss paused to take several labored breaths before continuing. "Yes, everyone has a place here, including you. Especially you—" Van Kleiss managed to croak the last two words before gritting his teeth clutching his chest.

"Woah, are you okay? Do you need me to get someone?" Rex reached out.

"There's no need…I just need a moment to catch my breath is all…" Van Kleiss hissed before falling forwards and getting caught by Rex.

"I'm not buying it! Do you have a nurse or doctor around here? Anyone who can treat you!"

"You don't understand my prognosis…This isn't something…one can treat…"

The pain had become unbearable and he could deny the cause no longer: his nanites had become unstable to the point of volatility, and they were seemingly determined to take down every last one of the cells in his body along with them. And then his body went limp in Rex's arms, totally unresponsive to his commands.

"A stroke, perhaps." Van Kleiss bitterly thought as Rex shook his body and desperately looked around for any means of contracting help. It looked like he was shouting something with the hope that someone, anyone would hear his cries.

But no one did—Van Kleiss included.

"And now my senses." Van Kleiss lamented as his vision turned black, terrified that his mental faculties would be taken from him next.

And then—

---

A gentle breeze blew over the grassy fields of Abysus as the sun peeked over the hills. It was the only time of day when a trace of blue could be found in the nanite-laden sky, and the resulting gradient painted a tapestry of colors that was worth waking up early in the morning to witness. But Van Kleiss didn't get up before dawn just to appreciate the view. The nanites in his body vibrated in anticipation and he wouldn't deny them their purpose.

Although it appeared he merely raised his hand for the ground to quake and tremble, the truth was more involved. The nanites that permeated the soil were receptive to his will, but he had to dedicate all his energy and concentration into taking control of the hundreds of billions it took to clear the ground, redistribute the nutrients, and prepare the soil. It was a laborious process but one that became easier with repetition. Given enough time, he believed he would become proficient enough to terraform entire biomes and promote biodiversity in the mostly arid badlands of Abysus.

But whether he would be afforded the chance depended on how cooperative his nanites wanted to be, and if interruptions such as Biowulf continued to intrude on his efforts as he was doing at that moment. His footsteps were stealthily light, but Van Kleiss could recognize his trot from meters away.

"What brings you here at this hour, Biowulf? I recall giving you the day off."

"I recall refusing. How could I rest knowing my Master is prone to collapse at any moment?" Biowulf tossed a heavy cloth sack to Van Kleiss, a sack which was summarily opened to reveal the body of some type of lagomorphic EVO, and a large, warm one at that.

"Aww, you shouldn't have." Van Kleiss insisted with a falsetto tone. Biowulf, none too pleased by his master's stubbornness, simply growled until Van Kleiss retrieved the EVO from the sack with a sigh and studied it for the best location to bite. After finding a suitable spot and willing his canines to sharpen and extend, he sunk his teeth into the EVO and drained it of its essence—blood, fat, nanites and all. All that was left of it once he drew his head back and licked the blood off his lips was a contorted statue which no longer resembled any sort of living creature.

"Well?" Biowulf queried, to which Van Kleiss rubbed his stomach in circles with a half-hearted hum. "Master, please." He whined, prompting Van Kleiss to reach forward and pet his guard's head. If only he could live off good intentions. "Have you finished for the day? Surely you've done enough." Biowulf suggested.

"I fear I don't do nearly enough." Van Kleiss sighed. "Do you recall how many EVOs have taken refuge here in the past twenty-four hours alone?"

"At least a hundred, master."

"And we can expect a hundred more tomorrow and the day after that. Breach has been diligent and Abysus' population is growing rapidly, Biowulf. As are the needs of its people."

"You should have these arrivals earn their stay."

"Pardon?"

"Why not have them prepare the ground and plant the crops? The toll this labor takes on you is far too great; such peasantry is beneath a King."

"The only thing beneath me is the ground, Biowulf. How could I, in good conscience, ask them to prepare the soil when I know where the best soil lies; when I can till dozens of acres during the waking hours where it would take them days to do the same; when they haven't had a moment's rest before coming here and were promised relief for the first time in their new lives?" Biowulf stood in silence. "The risk of famine is real and I will do everything in my power to prevent one." Van Kleiss solemnly swore. "Hunger can be such a terrible thing."

---

Van Kleiss' right arm shot towards Rex's neck and squeezed with a vice grip. Seconds prior, Rex attempted to cure Van Kleiss with the hope that doing so would mend whatever damage was caused by his transformation, just as the procedure did with every other EVO he cured. But there was something different about Van Kleiss' nanites, something horribly, inextricably wrong. Not only was Rex unable to cure Van Kleiss, but Van Kleiss' nanites corrupted Rex's own before calcifying into lethal shrapnel and instructing their replacements to retreat to their new host's body.

It was a parasitic interaction that was fundamental to Van Kleiss' existence as an EVO, and as much as he dreaded it, ran from it, and made coping with it more dignified through contraptions such as his gauntlet, that insatiable hunger arrived all the same. And at times, such as then, it compelled his body to move even when he wasn't conscious. Reaching for Rex's throat, readying his left hand, these involuntary movements were all driven by the subconscious desire to consume, to replenish his malnourished body.

And feed he would.

The needles retracted from Van Kleiss' gauntlet, and in one swift motion his claw plunged directly into Rex's abdomen at full force. The crackle of this nanite transfer could be heard all throughout the castle, and seen, too, in brilliant flashes of light which drew the attention of everyone within its halls. It would take them a minute or two to get there, and by then Rex might have been reduced to a statue if Van Kleiss didn't regain consciousness and summon every ounce of free will to withdraw his needles from Rex's body.

Mentally it was a Sisyphean task, but physically—despite the needles being comfortably nestled inches into Rex's flesh—the motion of withdrawing was remarkably easy, as was standing and breathing and curling his fingers into a triumphant fist. And it wasn't just his motor functions: he could now see with total clarity; he could hear the faint hum of military aircraft miles away; he could smell the faintest hint of Agent Six's cologne that still lingered around Rex; and regarding taste, how could he even begin to describe the sensation?

Because his nanites changed his physiology so drastically, the way he perceived textures and taste was drastically different from when he was human. Just coming into contact with other nanites was sufficient for his mind to conjure a flavor profile and feel; and so, after fasting for what felt like an eternity, it felt as though he fed on an entire buffet in one go. But what a taste it was, for it to revitalize his vigor to a dizzying extent he couldn't dream was possible. He felt healthier, stronger, more powerful—

He felt like a God.

Rex, on the other hand, was feeling decidedly less hot with his vision blurred and his ears ringing, not to mention the pain in his abdomen from having five needles pierce his body, siphon his nanites, and rip back out again right as his brain had numbed him to the pain. The only saving grace of that whole interaction was that the remnants of Van Kleiss' nanites formed stone-like scabs around the punctures. So he wasn't bleeding out, at the very least, but with the amount of pain he felt at his core he almost wished he was.

"A vampire…of course you're some kind of blood-sucking vampire…" Rex spat out as he lay on the floor with his arms wrapped around his abdomen.

"If only there was so convenient a label." Rex was stunned at the timbre his voice now had, with it easily projecting down the halls despite him speaking casually. What's more, some color returned to his skin, as did plenty of muscle and fat on his frame. With a simple tilt of his head, several roots sprung from the ground and raised Rex in a woven chair so he could look Van Kleiss in the eye. And he looked…remorseful?

"I am an EVO afflicted with a terrible hunger that can only be sated by active nanites. Yours was especially nourishing, but fret not. I am exploring alternative means of sustaining myself—"

"SUSTAIN THIS!" Bobo shrieked before unloading all twelve rounds of his revolvers into Van Kleiss.

BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM

Van Kleiss was so preoccupied with Rex that he failed to notice the sounds of a chimpanzee loading his guns as he ran towards the source of Rex's agonized scream. Bobo's aim was uncanny, as was the firepower of whatever bullets he was supplied with, Van Kleiss thought as his body was littered with twelve massive wounds. But in truth, this attack didn't bother him as much as the subconscious impulses he felt resurfacing. Another involuntary motion, another desire to recuperate by feeding—and before him was convenient prey.

If a bullet hadn't just shredded his vocal cords he would have warned Rex to run, but the fear in the young man's eyes suggested that the warning was unnecessary. Then the suggestion was all but guaranteed when Rex's survival instincts compelled his body to fight and the swift heel of one Punk Buster sent Van Kleiss into the wall with a devastating C-R-A-C-K.

The odds he was still alive after Bobo's barrage was slim to none, but now his spine had snapped and the orientation of his head was flipped vertically on top of that. It was a gruesome sight that Rex had yet to witness, and the thought that he had essentially just murdered a man, even if it was in self-defense, made his stomach feel infinitely worse than any number of needles, causing his machine to fall apart at the seams.

As Rex remained paralyzed on the chair, Bobo leapt to his side and tried to shake him out of his stupor while Biowulf sprinted past them to reach his master. Right as he did, Skalamander arrived with his lesser speed and was greeted to the uncanny scene of a typically vulgar chimpanzee attempting to console Rex while Biowulf pried Van Kleiss' body from the wall and stood unmoving and unblinking as he cradled it in his arms.

And then arrived Noah, who wasn't as fast as the others with their variegated limbs and physiques; but it would have made no difference if he arrived a few seconds sooner as he bore witness to the very same scene. And in witnessing both Rex's anguish and Van Kleiss' mangled body, a pit of despair formed in his stomach that was eerily familiar to the dread he felt just a few hours prior.

PART III

He wished he would drop dead; or that some careless driver along the road would accidentally swerve his way; or that a stray lightning bolt would strike his body and short-circuit his overstimulated mind; or that a feral EVO would appear from the bushes and devour him completely so that he could at least be good for something during his final moments. But instead, he stood there in the tauntingly light shower of a spring afternoon staring at his broken down car.

He knew the damage that driving it with little-to-no gas was doing to the engine, but he only ever drove out of necessity and filled the tank with however much money he could afford to spare; yet, at that moment, his only thought was that he could have given more and was now paying the price.

Five dollars could have bought him some snacks at a vending machine and he had planned on rewarding himself with food after he concluded his interview with Providence since it had been far too long since he last ate anything of substance. But alas, the same five dollar bill which could have been used to fuel his stomach or the last several miles of his trip was stashed uselessly in his back pocket, as crumpled and dilapidated as his current state of mind. He would have cried if he had any tears left, or ripped his out his hair if he gave in to his frustration—but at that moment, he felt numb more than anything else. Dreadfully, hopelessly numb.

He could complain about the unfairness of his circumstances: how he was forced to choose between buying food or gasoline; how he was kicked out by his parents who swore they would love their one and only child no matter what; how he was similarly rejected by all branches of the military for the very same reasons his parents cast him out; how he was too far away from his other relatives to rely on their support; or how an internship at Providence, which was all but guaranteed for a student as accomplished as he was, could have changed everything and allowed him to live authentically for the first time in his life.

But he knew there was no point in complaining. Life was unfair and there was no one around to listen. So he just stood on the side of the road, staring at his broken down car as the rain finally stopped and the faint revving of a motorcycle in the distance grew in intensity. And it grew louder and louder and louder until Noah was finally compelled to take his eyes off his car and turn his head towards the direction of the motorcycle, which appeared to be driving directly at him at a hundred miles per hour.

With his will to live suddenly returning, he swore an expletive before attempting to run away, tripping on his shoelaces, and stumbling to the ground. With his eyes shut tight, his teeth clenched, and his body curled into a ball, he braced himself for a devastating impact that ultimately never came with the biker having drifted into a complete stop only a few feet away from Noah.

When the blonde young man dared to open his eyes a few seconds after, it was at first through a trepidatious squint, but then they opened completely in astonishment once he laid his eyes on the biker and his…ride, for the lack of a better word, as it was clearly no motorcycle. The vehicle had no visible engine, branding, nor wheels—it appeared to be hovering a solid foot above the ground, in fact, with a gentle hum which starkly contrasted the noise it produced while speeding.

But most curious of all was the goggles-wearing biker himself, who appeared to be merged with the machine and looked down at Noah with a cocksure smile. "Car trouble?" Rex asked after lifting off his goggles and continuing to confound Noah with the reveal of his gentle eyes and similarly delicate eyelashes.

"Yeah…" Noah muttered while propping himself into a sitting position and studying the young man before him with visible concentration on his face. "...What kind of bike is that?"

"Oh, this thing? It's custom made, actually. One of a kind, like me." He answered before revving the engine twice.

"Dude's totally an EVO." Noah suspected and then confirmed when he saw the build fold in on itself and get absorbed into Rex's body in the timespan of approximately two seconds. And once the build was gone, Rex didn't skip a beat in walking over to Noah.

"I'm Rex. And uh, sorry about the scare. I thought you were someone else." He apologized while sheepishly scratching the back of his head and then extending his hand to Noah.

After blinking twice, Noah took Rex's hand with a firm grip and allowed Rex to help him off the ground. "Noah. And uh, none taken."

"Great!" Rex clapped. "Now that we're pals, mind if I take a look?" He asked while pointing his thumb at Noah's car.

"Knock yourself out." Noah shrugged, seeing no harm in letting an EVO with his unique attributes provide his opinion. And with permission formally granted, Rex walked around Noah to inspect his vehicle, popped the hood, and studied it from several angles before placing one of his hands on the engine.

"I don't think the engine can be salvaged—" Noah sighed right as Rex shut the hood and patted it twice.

"Done." He announced confidently. "Your cylinders misfired, make sure you have enough fuel next time."

"Y-you fixed it!?"

"What, like it's hard?" Rex teased with a wink. "Courtesy of yours truly, the whole thing is as good as new. Buuut you're still out of gas." He pointed out. "I can't do anything about that, except maybe tow you to the nearest gas station, I guess? Free of charge."

Noah could hardly believe his luck. That car was his lifeline, and to think that this stranger, Rex, took time to stop for someone in need, completely fixed up his car without asking for anything in return, and was offering to take him to the nearest gas station on top of that? It was almost too much to process, and Noah would have cried at Rex's generosity if that numb feeling didn't come creeping back once he remembered the original purpose of his drive.

"I appreciate the offer, really, but you don't have to bother…I was actually on my way to a job interview before my car stalled. And now that I totally missed it, I'm not really sure what to do…" Noah explained with a defeated chuckle that made Rex pout sympathetically.

"...Well, if you don't have any plans maybe you can hang with me and my pals." Rex quietly suggested with a reassuring pat on Noah's back. "And once you've let off some steam we'll see about starting up the job hunt again. How does that sound?"

With one of Rex's arms now cradled around his neck, Noah swallowed back any counter argument which dared to rise up his throat and responded curtly: "Yeah. That sounds nice."

---

Noah quickly learned that Rex had a decidedly liberal definition of friendship. Perhaps he shouldn't have found it too surprising, since Rex called the two of them pals the moment they shook hands, but to spend time with a bunch of hooligans who were openly using him to get free snacks and drinks? And Rex not seeing the problem with that until he told them he wouldn't do so anymore and them deciding to cut him off on the spot?

Well, it pissed him off to say the least. That anyone would be treated this way, let alone someone as amiable as Rex. Even if EVOs, human-passing or not, had few options when it came to friends, he thought Rex deserved better than whatever that bunch represented. And it seemed Rex's chimpanzee companion—who was fully armed and capable of talking, apparently—agreed with Noah's sentiment and swore to exact vengeance on the skater boys by giving them a complementary helping of soft serve.

"...And by that he means—" Noah wearily asked.

"Bobo bombs, poo-jectiles, tor-poo-dos; he actually came up with this entire list of names—!"

"I think I've heard enough." Noah grimaced, causing Rex to snort. "Has your monkey always been able to talk?"

"One, he's his own monkey. Two, a chimpanzee, technically." Rex counted on his fingers. "And three, I dunno. He's cagey about his past."

"Meanwhile you don't remember anything about yours." Noah acknowledged.

Rex was flattered that Noah was actually paying attention during their conversation on the way to the pit, but not so keen on how serious he looked while acknowledging it. Yeah, it was a big deal to him, but it seemed like Noah had plenty on his mind already and he didn't want to add on to that, so he thought to lighten the mood a little with an attempt at comedy: "It's not that bad, honestly. You wanna know the best part about amnesia?"

Noah raised an eyebrow.

"I forgot!"

After glaring at Rex in disbelief, Noah did his best foghorn impression while pinching his nose with one hand and wafting his face with the other, which did a much better job at eliciting a laugh out of Rex than Rex's joke did with Noah. And Noah couldn't help but think how pleasant Rex's laugh sounded as the EVO straightened up and placed a hand glowing with circuits on the vending machine.

"Maybe your taste in soda is better than your sense of humor." Rex suggested before Noah took the five dollar bill from his pocket, tugged at the corners to straighten it out, and inserted it into the machine.

"I'll let you decide." Noah countered with gratitude as he grabbed Rex's hand and guided it to the selection buttons of the vending machine.

---

Regardless of how well Noah got along with Rex, he hadn't the slightest clue what forces compelled him to run towards his new friend instead of turning the other direction and fleeing towards the castle entrance. One could argue it was the logical course of action, seeking the protection of a Providence agent—former Providence agent?—whilst in the middle of unknown territory; others would chalk it up as an irrational, emotion-driven response fueled by adrenaline to be prioritizing the wellbeing of someone he hardly knew over his own. Whatever the case was, in spite of the fear and dread and stress and uncertainty he felt at that moment, he ran as fast as he could towards Rex until Skalamander grabbed him by his jacket's collar and held him in the air.

You're not going anywhere!" The reptilian EVO spat at Noah before firing a massive crystal at the throne room's entrance, trapping all the inhabitants inside, and marching over to Rex and Bobo with heavy steps. "What did you do to Van Kleiss?" Skalamander hissed at them with venom in his voice. With his one good eye, Bobo looked up at Skalamander in terror while attempting and failing to reload one of his revolvers with his feet and frantically shaking Rex with his hands.

But Rex didn't respond, as his concentration was still focused on Van Kleiss' motionless body…Only, it didn't appear to be so motionless anymore, and not just due to the fact that Biowulf's steady breaths caused him to bob up and down slightly as he held Van Kleiss. No, Van Kleiss' body was beginning to twitch in tiny, near imperceptible movements that no one else in the room could have noticed but him—and those terrible feelings of guilt and anguish were replaced by relief and summarily weariness as Van Kleiss' motions gradually intensified.

"Don't make me say it twice…" Skalamander hissed again, this time with his fists clenched with fury. "I asked WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO HIM!?" He wailed before raising his crystalline arm above his head and bringing it down on the makeshift chair with a decisive swing. The splinters went flying all over the room, and it surely would have been accompanied with blood, bones, and viscera if Noah didn't slip out of his jacket and help Bobo drag Rex off the chair at the very last second.

"Rex! REX!" Noah pleaded while squeezing Rex's shoulders with a vice grip. "I don't know what's going on but you gotta do your thing and get us out of here!" At last, Rex was responsive to his friends' pleas and turned his head slightly towards Noah. But after their eyes met for the briefest of moments, he immediately looked back towards Van Kleiss with a concerned look on his face.

"Guys." was all he could muster while pointing a finger. And right as he did, everyone's heads jerked towards Van Kleiss as his body began convulsing.

The crackle of bones popping back into place was accompanied by the subtle sound of flesh stitching itself back together, and all Biowulf could do was let go of Van Kleiss' body as it began to stumble out of his arms and stand upright independently before his neck finally snapped back into its original orientation and Van Kleiss stood there as if nothing had happened. After a moment of unbroken silence, Van Kleiss' pupils darted towards Rex, and the leader of Abysus rubbed his jaw with a slight chuckle while everyone else looked on in awe and horror.

"...You're every bit as powerful as I was led to believe." he boasted in a low tone.

"Master!" Biowulf yelped joyously before being silenced by a raised hand, which he and Skalamander also understood as their cue to yield and they did so by kneeling on the ground.

"Now Rex," Van Kleiss began once more. "I will forgive your companion's brazen attempt on my life if you forgive mine on yours. Eye for an eye, hmm?" He proposed with a smile that inexplicably felt…off. Rex could hardly ascertain whether it was because Van Kleiss was restraining his fury at getting gunned down and realigned, or if he simply felt tired after burning all the energy it must have taken to regenerate his body within a matter of seconds.

"...Aye." Rex responded simply. Although he was inclined to reply with some snide remark to cope with the anxiety he felt, he made a concentrated effort to control his breathing, control his thoughts, and reestablish connection with the protocols responsible for his builds. More than anything he needed time, but it appeared Van Kleiss would do his damndest to deny him the opportunity as he slowly took steps forward, causing Rex to crawl backwards and fumble off the ground into a standing position and a visibly defensive one at that.

"I see you're still on guard. In which case, I'll spare you the formalities and get straight to the point: Abysus needs you, Rex."

"Abysus, or you?" Rex challenged with a speed that matched his increasing heartrate. The response was better at instigating the opposition than it was promoting civility, but Rex hoped it would keep Van Kleiss occupied long enough for his nanites to become fully responsive. However, Van Kleiss, who was unaware or completely disinterested in Rex's gambit, continued to smile eerily as he took a step forward.

"It's evident how much I stand to benefit from exploiting your nanites. In that regard, I suppose I'm no different from Providence, am I?" Rex scowled at Van Kleiss' casual observation as the man took another step. "But there is a fundamental difference between your organization and Abysus: they militantly uphold the status quo while we fight for the future, a future where EVOs can live without fear of subjugation, persecution, and outright annihilation." He pitched with a fist raised to his chest—the Abysus salute. "As the first EVO, you are key to bringing about that new era for our people. And I wish for nothing more than to help you realize your future…and your past."

"...Oh yeah? And how can I trust a word you say?" Rex huffed with agitated eyes.

"Skepticism is to be expected, but know that you have few causes to pledge your allegiance towards. You could side with Providence. Or you could run from them, knowing that Providence would rather see you dead than let you roam freely. Or you could stay, and allow us to provide you with everything that Providence never will. Glory. Answers. A home." Van Kleiss promised with an extended hand.

The mere mention of the word "home" forced Rex to clench his fists and grit his teeth to keep himself from crying, but doing so only delayed the stream of tears at the expense of causing his emotions and concentration to spiral.

He liked to believe that there was once a point in his life where he had a family who loved and cared for him with all their heart; that there was a point in his life where he lived with them in a place that he could return to regardless of whatever direction his life went; that he called this place home, and that inside his home he had a room that wasn't just a repurposed broom closet where the only source of warmth inside it came from hisses of steam that leaked from the many exposed pipes.

But Rex didn't know for certain because his memories only went back a year—and what precious few memories he did have were far from pleasant. They were still-fresh memories of Providence's never-ending meetings and bureaucratic bullshit; of rigorous physical training that would have been considered abuse if he were recognized as a human being in the eyes of the law; of violent encounters with variegated individuals that he was responsible for dealing with covertly every waking hour of the day; and of empty promises from an organization who, most likely, considered finding him answers their lowest priority as no greater motivation exists for the ass than the dangling carrot on a stick.

It was only natural that Rex would grieve for the answers he was denied and the pain he suffered. And so, as if the tears on his face was lubricant to the mechanisms of Van Kleiss' offer, he started questioning whether he was really so willing to uphold the status quo—especially after he made it clear to Providence that he wouldn't tolerate their treatment any longer just minutes earlier.

As far as he was concerned, they were out of the picture and before him was an invitation from a leader who appeared to respect him; and with Van Kleiss' invitation he would have a place among people who were like him and the ability to finally receive answers to the questions he had been desperately trying to reach for nearly a year. He had half a mind to abandon his station and give Van Kleiss a firm handshake—but before he could move to reach halfway, a viscous explosion that shook the foundations of the castle went off in the distance, and during everyone's brief lapse of concentration, Rex grabbed Bobo and Noah by their collars, formed his Rex Ride, and pierced through Skalamander's crystal wall with the hull-busting extension of his build.

It was a matter of seconds before the three of them went zooming out of the castle entrance, and as Rex maneuvered between trees and large rocks towards the general direction of the explosion and the stack of smoke that appeared in its vicinity, he clawed at his forehead to pull down his goggles and shield his eyes from the stinging streaks of wind. If he hadn't, he would have been at risk of sobbing and experiencing an accompanying emotional breakdown at the thought of nearly betraying everyone he cared about and everything they've worked towards over the past year.

No, it wasn't pleasant work, and rarely did he receive the appreciation or assistance he desperately needed to continue his part—but it was work that only he could do and he did it well. Perhaps he would have lost sight of that if he were weaker or more selfish, or if that explosion didn't occur when it did…but where there's smoke there's fire, and he was nothing if not a man of action.

---

"And that's when the three of you encountered Agent Six at the site of the crash, neutralized Van Kleiss, and retreated to the safety of The Keep?" The man asked without looking up from the printed dossier he read off of.

"That's more or less what happened." The lump at the back of Noah's throat suggested he was forgetting something, and once he amended his sentence with a hastily pronounced "Sir."

He swallowed hard and felt he had earned the right to breathe once more, even if it was with quiet, hesitant breaths, as they were the only kind that suggested complete and total reverence towards the man on the monitor before him—White Knight, the head of Providence.

How Noah ended up in an isolated conference room speaking with the head of Providence–the title and the significance of White Knight's rank was not lost on the young man, hence why it kept repeating in his mind in sync with the ticking of the analog clock mounted on the nearby wall–was beyond him. Or rather, it was the why, for what purpose, that continued to elude him as he stared at White Knight, the head of Providence, without daring to utter anything other than the most upfront responses to White Knight's questions:

"Are you the one who wrote up this report?"

"Have you worked for Providence before?"

"If you have no prior affiliation with the organization, what exactly were you doing with the EVO?"

To which Noah replied:

"I wrote it in response to the agents' questions while we were onboard the Keep, sir."

"No sir, I haven't."

"You mean Rex? He was escorting me to a job interview after my car broke down."

It honestly felt like an interrogation, and Noah was desperately hoping that his encounter with Rex didn't land them both in serious trouble.

"Comfortable around EVOs, unemployed, excellent writer..." White Knight mumbled just loudly enough to be picked up by his microphone while scribbling notes in the margins of the dossier. Contrary to his thoughts just a few ticks ago, Noah began to consider the possibility that this continued questioning was some kind of interview.

It was an unlikely possibility, since recruiting seemed like a responsibility outside of White Knight's purview, but since Noah had befriended Rex who, for all intents and purposes, was a secret weapon who no civilian was supposed to know about, perhaps White Knight believed it was his responsibility to meet Rex's new friend personally—as personally one could get when broadcasted to the world from the confines of his quarantined chambers—so he could decide what to do with him.

"Hopefully not kill me." Noah thought before White Knight asked a few more questions regarding the group's time at Abysus. After answering White Knight's final question, the man's pupils darted to the top of the dossier, gave the entire document another skim, and rested upon Noah before White Knight tapped the dossier against his desk and set it aside.

"Let me cut to the chase. You saw things you weren't supposed to see and got involved in things you weren't supposed to get involved with, which leaves you with two options. One, you sign an NDA and get compensated for the danger our agents failed to protect you from."

The mention of compensation caused Noah's spine to straighten more than he thought was possible. He knew just as well as anybody else how difficult it was to claim damages for any destruction or harm caused by Providence in the process of containing or eliminating EVOs, as well as how tremendous the payouts were in the rare cases that Justices determined that Providence agents overstepped their boundaries. If the chaos he lived through that day was serious enough to warrant White Knight breaking the news, he would probably have enough money for university, treatment, his very own home—

"...And option two?" Noah mustered the confidence to ask after realizing that White Knight had yet to present him with an alternative option. It almost seemed unnecessary, as the first one sounded too good to be true, so the suspicion that it was an offer he couldn't refuse was seemingly validated when White Knight brought a thumb against his neck and slid it across his throat.

"I'LLTAKEOPTIONONE." Noah blurted without hesitation. "I won't tell a soul about anything that happened today—" he continued before getting drowned out by White Knight's laughter peaking his microphone. All the tension and stress that was boiling inside of Noah had evaporated into a fine mist of exhaustion, a bit of contempt, and most of all relief.

Despite being one of the most powerful men on the planet, White Knight was still human—the only one guaranteed to stay as such without risk of transforming into a monster, in fact—and it offered Noah slight relief to be reminded of this if he was compelled to speak to him one-on-one. So as dreadful as that prank made him feel, he would gladly endure it if it the lightened mood between them.

"Sorry for the dark humor, this job gets very stressful on the best of days."

"I can only imagine."

"Indeed. So for option two, I am extending you the opportunity to shoulder some of that responsibility as an agent of Providence."

"A-are you offering me a job, sir?" Noah could hardly feign his enthusiasm—an eagerness to work was something White Knight valued greatly, so he too couldn't help but smile at how productive this arrangement could be.

"It's within my authority to do so. And the payout you'd get by signing the NDA is still yours—think of it as a sign-on bonus. So really, you have the choice between returning to civilian life or doing your part to help us win this war."

"Of course—absolutely, sir!" Noah saluted in confirmation. "But if you don't mind my asking, why—"

"Let me stop you there." White Knight held up his hand in a signal for Noah to stop whatever point he was about to raise. "When someone offers you a job, don't give them any reasons to change their mind. But if you must know the details, it boils down to you being the ideal candidate to accompany "The Generator" on his missions." White Knight explained while pouring a glass of milk. "See, the asset is as stubborn as he is lethal, so while he intervenes in life-or-death situations, you keep track of everything he does, from a safe distance, and write up the reports he's too incompetent to write himself."

"Hmm. I've interned as a secretary before; you won't be disappointed by my efficacy!" Noah swore with a salute.

"I'll be disappointed if you include any four-syllable words in your reports—brevity is the soul of wit, Miss Nixon. And this first report tells me you're—"

"Mister Nixon." Noah clarified with a timbre that exuded confidence. White Knight blinked–unsure how to respond to him being interrupted for what may have been the first time since he held his current position. "I guess Providence can easily find records on anyone they want, and I applaud you for doing your diligence before offering someone a job. But some of that information is wrong." He declared with tempered steel in his eyes. "My name is Noah Nixon. Let the records show that is my one and only name."

"...As I was saying, Mister Nixon," White Knight corrected himself without a trace of hesitation, difficulty, or resentment at being spoken over. "This first report tells me you're sharp witted. Keep it up, and you'll have a bright future in this organization."

As White Knight finished complimenting Noah, a panel opened up below the monitor he appeared on, and inside the cubby there was a fresh glass of milk which he gestured for Noah to take.

"You got any cookies back there?" Noah sheepishly requested in a manner completely contrary to the bravado he displayed just a moment ago. In response, White Knight simply smirked before the monitor went dark and a Providence Agent entered the conference room with a pen and Noah's contract.

Noah rolled out one of the chairs, took a seat, and slowly sipped on his glass as he reviewed all the details of the contract—if he was going to be responsible for the administrative aspects of Rex's job, he would do everything he could to do right by Rex. Not just for the tremendous opportunity their friendship has presented him, but for sparking in him a sense of hope he hadn't felt in a long time.