The Trade Read online

  CHAPTER 4

  ‘I KNEW IT WAS A BAD idea letting him out,’ Dr Holiday said. Rex was lying on another hospital-type bed. He was more or less back to normal, aside from the bruise on his upper arm where Six had poked the needle into him. A number of machines were connected to him by thin wires. Every few seconds, one of the machines would go bleep.

  Dr Holiday shook her head angrily. ‘He should never have gone out. He needed more tests.’

  ‘More tests,’ Rex groaned. ‘Yay.’

  ‘What, would you rather go through all that again?’ Holiday snapped. ‘Your transformations going out of control every time you use them?’

  ‘Well, no, but –’

  ‘Anything could’ve happened to you out there, Rex,’ she continued. ‘You could’ve been badly hurt. Or worse.’

  Rex shrugged. ‘I know, it’s just … do you have to stick more pins in my face?’

  Dr Holiday rolled her eyes. ‘I stuck one pin in your face one time to test for nerve damage. One.’

  ‘It felt like more,’ Rex muttered. ‘Anyway, one pin in your face is one too many, that’s what I always say.’

  ‘No more pins, Rex, I promise,’ Holiday said. She glared pointedly at Agent Six. ‘But maybe I’ll be allowed to finish the other tests this time, so we can figure out what’s happening to you.’

  Agent Six turned to Holiday. ‘I understand you were unhappy with us taking him out,’ he said, ‘but the mission required Rex’s input.’

  ‘The mission?’ Holiday spluttered. ‘What about Rex? Did you stop to think what he “required”?’

  A frosty silence hung in the air for a few moments. Finally, Six asked: ‘What have you found out?’

  Dr Holiday gave a sigh. ‘Nothing. Well, not much.’ She handed Agent Six a bundle of paper. Numbers and symbols covered the pages. ‘I’ve been monitoring him since you brought him back in. These are the readings.’

  ‘They’re all over the place,’ Six frowned.

  ‘You can say that again. Now turn to the back pages.’

  Agent Six flipped through the bundle. ‘Normal,’ he said.

  ‘They levelled off quickly,’ Holiday nodded. ‘Holding steady now.’

  ‘So, what you’re saying is, he’s fine?’ said Six.

  ‘Look at those charts!’ Holiday said. ‘He’s normal for now, but he’s far from “fine”. Whatever happened to him out there could happen again.’

  ‘Could happen again,’ said Six. ‘Could.’

  While Six and Holiday were arguing, Rex quietly slipped down from the bed. Carefully, he peeled back the tape holding the wires against his body. He had almost removed them all when one of the medical machines began to beep loudly.

  ‘Back on the bed, mister,’ Holiday told him. She gave him a stern look. ‘I’m not done with you yet.’

  Agent Six and the doctor watched him until he had reattached every one of the wires and climbed back up onto the bed. ‘Hey,’ he said, ‘worth a try, right?’

  ‘Nanite overload,’ said Six, quietly.

  ‘Excuse me?’ asked Holiday.

  ‘Nanite overload,’ Six said again. ‘Happened before, remember? Too many nanites. Sent his whole system crazy.’

  ‘I remember,’ Rex nodded. ‘My face was a sack of metal pus. That’s not something you forget in a hurry. But this isn’t like that.’

  Holiday nodded. ‘He’s right,’ she said. ‘This is different. The readings are nothing like they were then. Something else is causing Rex’s … problems.’

  ‘What then?’ Six asked.

  ‘I wish I knew. I’m going to have to run –’

  ‘More tests,’ groaned Rex, finishing her sentence for her. ‘OK then, Doc, do whatever you have to do.’ He glared at Agent Six. ‘But do not even think about coming near my face with anything sharp.’

  ‘White Knight wants him match-fit in two hours,’ said Six, ignoring Rex and talking instead to Dr Holiday. White Knight was Agent Six’s boss, and the leader of the Providence organisation.

  ‘Two hours?’ Holiday yelped. ‘That’s nowhere near enough time. We need to keep him out of action until we’ve figured out exactly what’s going on. No matter how long it takes.’

  ‘I can’t see White Knight agreeing to that,’ Six said. He met Holiday’s eye and gave a curt nod of his head. ‘But I’ll see if I can buy you some more time, at least.’

  The others watched him leave the lab. Once he was gone, Dr Holiday turned to Rex. ‘Now,’ she said, picking up a long syringe with an even longer needle on the end, ‘don’t worry, this isn’t going to hurt.’

  CHAPTER 5

  REX WAS BORED.

  He was in his own room, lying on his own bed, flicking through the channels on the TV. There was nothing on but soaps and makeover shows. He jabbed a button on the remote and clicked through another half dozen channels, each one more terrible than the last.

  With a final press of the remote control, the TV screen went dark. Rex lay back on the bed, his hands behind his head. He was bored. Really bored.

  Bored.

  Bored.

  Bored.

  It wouldn’t have been so bad if Bobo or Noah had been around. His friends were always good company, even if one of them was a talking chimp. Even Agent Six would be someone to talk to, but Dr Holiday had made it clear that Rex had to be kept in isolation. ‘For observation,’ she’d said.

  Rex looked over at the CCTV cameras mounted in the corners of the room, watching his every move. Still, at least they weren’t being secretive about it – the cameras were almost impossible to miss.

  Swinging his legs down onto the floor, Rex turned to the closest camera and waved. ‘Hey, Doc,’ he said. ‘How long did you say I have to stay in here?’

  Dr Holiday’s face appeared on a screen on the wall. ‘Twenty-four hours,’ she said. ‘That’s all.’

  Rex nodded. ‘Right. And how long have I been here for?’

  Dr Holiday looked at her watch. ‘Eleven minutes,’ she told him.

  ‘Eleven minutes,’ Rex groaned. ‘Seriously?’

  ‘It’ll be over in no time,’ Holiday smiled. ‘Why don’t you watch some TV to take your mind off it?’

  ‘I already tried that.’

  On screen, Holiday shrugged. ‘Try again.’ With that, the screen went dark.

  ‘Try again,’ Rex muttered. He picked up the remote and switched the television on again. A glamorous soap opera actress sobbed hysterically in close up.

  Click. He changed channel. A bearded man was planting seeds in a garden.

  Click. A middle-aged woman was having her hair done by a man in a yellow shirt.

  Click. A scorpion-like Evo was smashing police cars with its deadly tail.

  Click. A man in dungarees was painting the outside of a house.

  Rex blinked. Wait. He clicked back a channel and the scorpion Evo filled the screen again. A news reporter’s voice was explaining that the monster had appeared from nowhere, and had already destroyed half a city block. The text at the bottom of the screen identified the location as “Fremont, California”.

  Rex turned back to the CCTV camera. ‘Uh, Doc,’ he began, ‘are you seeing this?’

  There was a pause as the camera moved to take in what was happening on the TV. Dr Holiday’s face appeared on the wall-mounted screen again. ‘I see it,’ she said, ‘but it’s not your problem.’

  The door to Rex’s room opened with a swish. ‘On the contrary,’ said Agent Six, looming in the doorway. ‘It’s very much his problem.’

  Rex stood in the Providence aircraft hangar, listening to Dr Holiday and Agent Six argue. He had been standing there listening to them for almost ten minutes now, and they still didn’t seem any closer to reaching an agreement.

  ‘You can’t take him out,’ Dr Holiday snapped. ‘Anything could happen.’

  ‘I’ve done all I can,’ Six replied. ‘White Knight wants him out in the field. His readings are still fine. Chances are it was a temporary glitch.’

&nbs
p; ‘And chances are it might not have been!’

  Rex whistled quietly. He nodded to a group of Providence Agents, who were boarding the aircraft beside them.

  ‘We’ve got an out-of-control Evo tearing up the city,’ Six said.

  ‘And you’ve got a hundred Agents and a dozen tanks already at the scene,’ said Holiday. ‘You don’t need Rex.’

  ‘Correction. We’ve now got seventeen Agents and two tanks. The Evo took care of the rest.’ He touched a finger to his ear, listening to a voice on his communicator. ‘Make that one tank.’

  ‘Not my problem,’ said Holiday. ‘I can’t let you take him.’

  ‘And I can’t let him stay,’ Six replied.

  ‘Rex,’ they both said at once, ‘come with me.’

  Rex held up his hands. ‘Look, guys, it’s nice to be wanted and everything, but –’

  A viewing screen on the wall beside them blinked into life. The ghostly pale face of White Knight appeared. ‘What’s the hold up?’ he demanded, gruffly.

  ‘Six is trying to take Rex out on a mission,’ Dr Holiday said, hurriedly.

  White Knight nodded. ‘I know. I gave the order.’

  ‘Sir, I really have to object! I don’t think –’

  ‘Objection noted,’ said White Knight. ‘But he’s going.’

  Dr Holiday opened her mouth to say something else, but Agent Six jumped in first. ‘I’ll bring him back in one piece,’ he said, taking Rex by the arm and steering him towards the aircraft’s entrance. ‘Well … two at the most.’

  ‘Was that a joke, Six?’ Rex asked, grinning broadly. ‘You hear that, Doc? Six made a joke.’

  Agent Six flashed him a serious look.

  ‘Um … that was a joke, right?’ asked Rex, suddenly nervous. ‘Right, Six?’

  The door to the aircraft slid closed. Dr Holiday could only watch as the vehicle blasted off, leaving her all alone in the empty hangar.

  ‘Good luck,’ she said, quietly. Somehow, she had a feeling Rex was going to need it.

  CHAPTER 6

  ON A DESERTED STREET in Fremont, California, twelve tanks smouldered quietly. The semi-conscious bodies of almost a hundred Agents lay scattered across the tarmac, groaning and whimpering in pain.

  Smoke poured from within shattered store fronts. Cars lay upturned, their metal frames shredded, their windscreens shattered. Somewhere in the wreckage, a police siren wailed once, then slowed to a stop.

  In the middle of the street was a hole. It was wide and deep, easily large enough to fit one of the broken Providence tanks. Down in the hole, the scorpion Evo lurked.

  ‘Now there’s something you don’t see every day,’ Rex whispered, ducking low behind the smoking remains of a pizza delivery van. He gasped, sharply. ‘Whoa!’ Beside him, Agent Six went tense.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ he hissed.

  ‘Pepperoni,’ said Rex, happily. He reached in through the broken doors of the van and pulled out a cheese-coated triangle of pizza. ‘Want a slice?’

  Steel flashed before Rex’s eyes and the pizza left his hand. He looked up to find the slice stuck to the end of one of Six’s swords. With a flick, Six sent the pizza hurtling across the street. Rex watched it splatter messily against a wall.

  ‘Hey, I was going to eat that!’

  ‘Junk food later,’ Six growled. ‘Fight Evo now.’

  ‘OK, OK,’ Rex sighed. ‘But when we’re finished here, you owe me a twelve-inch deep pan.’

  ‘Deal,’ Six said.

  ‘With extra cheese.’

  ‘Don’t push your luck –’

  KER-ASSSH!

  A curved stinger, larger than Rex’s head, tore through the side of the van. Rex and Six jumped back as the van was lifted into the air. The scorpion Evo hissed at them, angrily.

  ‘Hi there,’ said Rex, brightly. ‘I don’t suppose you’d like to surrender quietly?’

  The scorpion’s tail snapped down. Rex was knocked sideways by Agent Six, just as the van smashed down onto the road. Six growled in pain as part of the axle slammed down onto his legs, pinning them against the ground.

  ‘You OK?’ Rex asked, reaching down to help Six.

  ‘Fine. Forget me,’ Six barked. He tried to pull his legs free, but they were held fast. ‘Stop that thing.’

  Rex nodded. ‘You’re the boss, boss.’ He stood up. The scorpion-creature was larger than the pizza van had been, even before it was smashed to pieces. It had four yellow eyes, each one the size of a football. The eyes were fixed on the helpless Six. Rex knew he had to lead the Evo away.

  ‘Didn’t anyone tell you it’s rude to stare?’ Rex said, stepping between the Evo and Agent Six. He raised both arms, extended the index fingers, then poked the scorpion in two of its eyes. The Evo howled with rage.

  ‘You want me?’ Rex cried. He ran past the scorpion. ‘Then come get me!’

  Rex powered forward, leaping over fallen Agents and sliding across the bonnets of abandoned cars. Behind him, he heard the tick, tick, tick of the scorpion’s legs as it raced after him across the concrete. With every step, the sound became louder. The Evo was gaining, and it was gaining fast.

  ‘So, you can run,’ Rex muttered. ‘But let’s see if you can outrun the Rex Ride!’

  Rex leapt into the air. As he did, an orange and silver hover-bike formed beneath him. The street became a blur around him as he opened the throttle and sent the bike hurtling along the street.

  Tick, tick, tick.

  Tick, tick, tick.

  Rex looked back over his shoulder. He could barely believe what he saw. The scorpion Evo was still gaining steadily, its pincer-legs carrying it along at incredible speed.

  ‘OK, so you can outrun the Rex Ride,’ Rex said. He suddenly didn’t feel as confident as he had a moment ago. ‘But what if I – Ack!’

  The hover-bike vanished. Still racing forward at breakneck speed, Rex clattered onto the ground, bounced twice, then rolled to a clumsy stop. Winded, he clambered back to his feet. A trickle of blood ran down his cheek, from a cut on his forehead. He ignored it, and focused instead on the enormous scorpion-monster teetering towards him.

  ‘That’s it, big guy,’ he spat. ‘Let’s see how you like the Slam Cannon.’

  Rex waited. Nothing happened. The Evo hurried closer.

  ‘The Slam Cannon,’ Rex said again.

  Again, nothing.

  ‘Aw, man,’ Rex groaned, before a swiping blow from the scorpion’s tail sent him tumbling across the tarmac. A pain, like none he’d ever felt before, suddenly burned through his whole body, but it was nothing to do with the Evo’s attack. Something was happening to him. Something bad.

  A scream burst from Rex’s lips. His back arched and his muscles bunched into knots. A deafening clanking and whirring of machinery rose up, as his transformations began to activate one after another.

  Smackhands, Punk Busters, Boogie Pack; they appeared one after another, vanishing as quickly as they had come. The Slam Cannon appeared next, forming around his shoulder even as the Rex Ride formed around his feet.

  ‘Wh-what’s happening?’ Rex cried, as the Big Freakin’ Sword appeared briefly at the end of one arm, and then the other. There was a loud grinding of metal as the Punk Buster feet appeared and fought for space with the Rex Ride. The arm without the sword attached became a Smackhand. Through the pain, Rex realised that every one of his transformations was happening at the same time!

  Even the Evo had hesitated, confused by what was happening to the boy on the ground. Deep inside its deranged brain, though, it came to the conclusion that it really couldn’t care less. The boy had attacked it, and for that, the boy would die.

  Raising its lethal stinger, the scorpion fixed its four eyes on Rex, and crept slowly forward.

  CHAPTER 7

  ‘GET UP, REX. Get up!’

  Back at Providence HQ, Dr Holiday was watching events through a CCTV camera mounted on one of the battle-damaged tanks. She had seen Six trapped by the pizza van and Rex’s machines begin to
malfunction. More importantly, she could now see the monstrous Evo stalking towards Rex, who was now thrashing around in pain.

  Another screen blinked into life beside her. Dr Holiday turned and came face to face with a video image of White Knight.

  ‘This is all your fault,’ she told him, forgetting for a moment who she was talking to. ‘I told you he wasn’t ready. I told you it wasn’t safe!’

  ‘Rex was vital to this mission,’ White Knight said.

  Dr Holiday threw up her arms. ‘The mission,’ she cried, ‘it’s always about the mission!’

  ‘Yes,’ said White Knight, flatly. ‘It’s always about the mission.’

  Holiday folded her arms across her chest.

  ‘Then maybe we’re on the wrong mission,’ she muttered, and she turned back to the main screen.

  Rex’s teeth were clamped tightly together. Veins bulged in his neck until they stood out like blue ropes from his skin. Just a few metres away, the scorpion Evo drew back its tail and prepared to strike.

  CLANG!

  A pair of katana swords blocked the scorpion’s attack. Its four eyes swivelled to find Agent Six staring back at it. ‘You messed up my suit,’ Six said. ‘No one messes up my suit.’

  The tail pulled back, then stabbed sharply towards the centre of Six’s chest. Six stepped sideways and swished the swords down. The scorpion’s stinger clacked hard against the pavement. ‘Clearly you weren’t listening,’ Six said. ‘No one messes up my suit.’

  Six brought a knee up to his chest, then fired a devastating kick against one of the scorpion’s front legs. The armoured limb buckled and the Evo stumbled sideways, screeching in pain.

  On the ground, Rex was doing more or less the same thing. He cried out in agony as his transformations continued to switch back and forth, there one minute, gone the next.

  ‘His biometric signs are failing,’ crackled a voice in Agent Six’s ear. It was Dr Holiday, speaking to him via the communicator. ‘You have to get him out of there now.’

  ‘Kind of in the middle of something here,’ grunted Six. He ducked another swipe of the scorpion’s tail.

  ‘I don’t care,’ Holiday snarled. ‘Get Rex and …’