The ceiling overhead spun and twirled like a fairground ride, making him feel sick. He closed his eyes again, shook his head, and took a deep breath.
When he opened his eyes for a second time, the room had stopped spinning. There was a large spotlight mounted on the ceiling, pointing directly down at him. The light was off, and he could see his reflection in the curved glass.
He was on a bed, like the one back in Dr Holiday’s lab. He had no idea where he was, but one thing he did know – this definitely was not Providence base.
The room he was in was small and cramped. Paint peeled in large flakes from the walls and dust covered almost every surface. Machines and lab equipment stood all around the bed. Wires ran from the machines. Each wire was attached to some part of his body – his chest, his arms, his legs and his head.
In the corner of the room, a printer spewed out page after page of paper, each sheet covered with numbers and letters and strange, cryptic symbols. Rex was too far away to be able to read the pages properly. Even if he was closer, though, he doubted he’d make any sense of them.
Rex took another deep breath, then gave a short yelp of pain. His lungs ached. Now he came to think about it, all of him ached. He tried to think back to what had happened to him.
There had been an Evo, he remembered that. A nasty one with an even nastier tail. He searched his memories, but they were hazy, as if lost in a thick fog.
He’d been travelling fast, he thought. And then he’d been travelling slowly, and then he hadn’t been travelling at all. Something had hit him. The Evo? The ground? He couldn’t say for sure, and then … And then …
And then what? Darkness and pain, that was all that came back to him. Darkness and pain and … a big letter Y?
He remembered! He’d been taken somewhere, strapped down, unable to move. Someone had punched him and knocked him out. Someone familiar.
Rex tried to sit up. The moment he moved, a machine somewhere near his right shoulder began to bleep. A LED display on the front of the machine flashed up “300 VOLTS” and a powerful electric shock surged through Rex’s body.
‘Whoa,’ Rex hissed, when the shock had passed. ‘That was harsh.’
He lay still for a moment, making sure he wasn’t about to be zapped again. Finally, he raised his head, just a little. ‘Hello?’ he called. The door to the room was closed. It looked to be made of a thick metal. Rex hoped it wasn’t sound proof. ‘Hello? Anyone there?’
There was no reply from beyond the door. ‘Great,’ Rex mumbled. ‘Just great.’
He craned his neck until he could see the machine that had zapped him. It was about the size of a car radio, with an enormous battery pack attached to the base. There were a few buttons and switches on the front, and two wires ran from the front. Rex followed the cables with his eyes. They ended somewhere on his chest, too high up for him to be able to see them.
Slowly, cautiously, he moved his hands up his chest until he found the ends of the wires. They ran down inside the neck of his t-shirt, where they were attached to his skin by two circular stickers.
His fingers shook as he carefully began to pull the stickers away. Beside him, the LED display lit up.
“500 VOLTS”.
BZZZZZT!
Rex’s back arched and his limbs went stiff. He pulled his hands away from the wires and shot the machine an accusing look. ‘Dude, seriously!’ he said.
The machine was within arm’s reach. It didn’t zap him again when he positioned his hand beside it, fist clenched. ‘You just earned yourself a taste of the B.F.S.,’ he told it. He concentrated on making the sword appear.
The sword did not appear.
He tried again, trying to form his Smackhands this time. Once again, nothing happened. Something was suppressing his nanites. He was powerless!
‘Could today get any worse?’ he groaned.
BZZZZZZT!
He cried out in pain, then turned back to the machine. “900 VOLTS” was flashing on the display screen. ‘Ow! What was that for?’ he demanded, but the machine didn’t answer.
Rex lay his head back on the bed and tried to figure out his next move. He couldn’t transform. He couldn’t attract anyone’s attention. If he tried to sit up, he got electrocuted. He had to admit, things weren’t looking good.
Sighing, he turned his head so he was looking at the machine again. That was his main problem right now. If he could just find a way to disable it, he’d have a fighting chance at escape.
But who was he kidding? The tech stuff was Dr Holiday’s speciality. A machine like that was bound to have failsafes and backup routines. Even if he could find a way of tampering with it, it’d only restart itself and …
And …
Rex looked at the switches on the front of the machine. With his outstretched arm, he reached over and pressed the one marked “OFF”. The machine’s display went dark and Rex sat up. He yanked the wires from his chest.
‘They just don’t make torture devices like they used to,’ he muttered. He looked over at the metal door. ‘And now,’ he said, steadying himself, ‘for the hard part.’
CHAPTER 12
REX TRIED THE DOOR. It was locked, but then, that wasn’t exactly a surprise. If someone had gone to all the trouble of kidnapping him and attaching him to an electric shock machine, it was a pretty safe bet they’d remember to bolt the door, too.
He tried to summon his Smackhands, but his nanites still weren’t responding. The effort of concentrating made his head spin. He had to lean against the wall to stop himself falling over.
He was in bad shape. His legs felt heavier than a broken Punk Buster and he was still shaking from the high voltage shocks he’d received. A locked metal door was the last thing he needed.
There was a keypad beside the door. Rex punched in a few numbers and hit a button marked “UNLOCK”.
‘Code not recognised,’ chimed a robotic voice. ‘Please try again.’
‘Don’t mind if I do,’ said Rex. He tried several more combinations of numbers, but each one was met with the same response.
‘Code not recognised. Please try again.’
‘Ah, what’s the use?’ Rex sighed. ‘This isn’t getting me anywhere. There’s only one thing for it.’
Rex stepped back, picked a spot beside the handle of the door, and kicked hard. A shudder of pain travelled along his leg and up the entire length of his spine. The door did not so much as budge.
‘O-OK-K,’ Rex stammered, his whole body vibrating. ‘N-not my b-best idea.’
Hobbling, he turned around and cast his gaze across the rest of the room. He was secretly hoping there was another exit, one he just hadn’t spotted yet. There wasn’t. Aside from the door behind him, there was no other way in or out of the room.
His eyes fell on the machine that had electrocuted him. He had an urge to smash it, but there was something else, too. Something flickering at the very back of his tired and groggy brain. An idea.
The machine was attached to a metal stand, with four shopping trolley style wheels attached to the bottom. In his weakened state, it took all Rex’s strength to roll the thing over to the door.
Pausing only to get his breath back, Rex attached the cables to the front of the keypad. As he connected the wires up, his hand brushed against a few of the door control’s buttons.
‘Code not recognised,’ it said. ‘Please try again.’
Rex grinned. ‘Recognise this,’ he said, and he flicked the switch to turn the shock machine back on.
A flash of blue light filled the room. There was a sizzle, then a bang, then a puff of grey smoke.
‘Code recognised,’ droned the voice. It sounded much slower than it had a moment ago. ‘Have a nice daaaaaaaay.’
The voice slowed to a complete stop. With a swish, the metal door slid open, revealing a darkened corridor. Rex leaned out and glanced in both directions. Nothing moved in the shadows, but Rex had a feeling danger wasn’t very far away.
He tried his builds aga
in. Smackhands, Punk Busters, Boogie Pack – nothing. Unarmed and alone, he sidled out of the room, and began to make his way through the darkness.
Gradually, Rex’s eyes began to adjust. The corridor had no windows, and the same peeling paint as the room he’d woken up in. Pipes ran along the walls, and he got the feeling he was in a basement, or some large underground complex.
The corridor turned sharply and Rex followed it, keeping low and close to the wall in case anyone was waiting up ahead. Squinting through the gloom he saw no one, but he did see something.
Another door blocked the way just a few metres ahead. He crept closer and examined it. This door was made of plain wood, with a metal handle about halfway up. There was no keypad beside it. There wasn’t even a keyhole in the door itself and so, Rex guessed, it wasn’t locked.
He pressed his ear against the wood; listened, but heard nothing. He was about to reach for the handle when the squeal of an alarm tore along the corridor. Red lights lit up the darkness, flashing on and off in time with the alarm. From behind him, back the way he’d come, he heard raised voices. Someone had realised he’d escaped!
There was no time for stealth now. Grabbing the handle, Rex turned it and yanked open the door.
A hulking creature loomed on the other side. It flexed its long, deadly claws.
‘Going somewhere?’ it growled, and Rex finally realised why he had recognised that voice.
‘Biowulf!’ he hissed. Rex knew he was in no condition to fight Van Kleiss’ second-in-command. Spinning on the spot, he prepared to run, but a four-armed girl blocked his escape. The girl peered at him through her matted curtain of black hair.
‘And Breach, too,’ Rex said. He smiled weakly. ‘I’m guessing you guys didn’t just drop by for a chat?’
Rex ducked as one of Breach’s powerful fists smashed against the wall beside his head. Plaster dust rained down on the floor.
‘No, didn’t think so,’ said Rex. He pointed over Breach’s shoulder. ‘Hey, look, it’s the Easter Bunny.’
Breach turned and Rex took his chance. Shoving her aside he raced past her. ‘Sucker!’ he grinned. ‘Easter was months ago!’
Sliding around the corner, Rex sped along the corridor. Behind him, he heard the clatter of Biowulf’s metallic feet. ‘After him!’
Rex groaned. Earlier, he’d thought there was no way his day could possibly get any worse, but he was beginning to realise …
He was wrong!
CHAPTER 13
REX POWERED ALONG THE corridor, searching frantically for another way out. A shimmering red circle seemed to tear through the darkness up ahead. Rex recognised it at once as one of Breach’s portals.
Throwing himself forwards, Rex slid, head-first, beneath the portal, just as Breach’s arms reached out. He felt all twenty of her fingers grab at him, but she was too slow. Rolling, Rex sprang back to his feet and continued to race along the passageway.
Another corner loomed up ahead. Rex took it at full speed, battering against the wall as he hurled himself around. He stopped when he saw the corridor was filled with men in dirty lab coats. They glared at him over the tops of their thick glasses.
‘Trust me, guys,’ Rex growled, ‘you do not want to get in my way right now.’
With an angry roar, Rex charged. The technicians all yelped with fright and did their best to get out of his way. Some pressed themselves against the walls, while others dropped to the floor, their hands over their head. Still others climbed onto the backs of their colleagues, doing everything they could to scramble out of Rex’s path.
Rex hurtled through the gap. His legs felt wobbly and weak, and even running was taking everything he had. Fighting Biowulf and Breach wasn’t an option.
With a final bound, Rex leapt over the last of the cowering technicians. As he sailed through the air, the darkness ahead of him became filled with a bright red glow.
‘Aw, nuts,’ Rex sighed, as a portal opened up directly in his path.
Instead of landing on the basement floor, Rex hit dirt. He rolled clumsily through a mound of soil, becoming tangled in the weeds and vines that grew from it.
Rex tried to scramble to his feet, but the last of his strength was fading fast. His legs shook and his arms trembled and he could do nothing to stop himself falling face down into the dirt.
A clawed hand caught him roughly by the back of his jacket and hoisted him into the air. Rex saw Breach step through the portal. She was pushing a man in a lab coat ahead of her. The man wore a dark, sinister-looking mask that covered his entire head. Rex couldn’t help but wonder what sort of face lurked under there.
‘Let go of me,’ Rex snapped. He flailed around, trying to break the grip on his back. Biowulf gave him a violent shake and Rex felt the world spin again.
‘Cool it, runt,’ Biowulf snarled. ‘You’ve got an appointment with the boss.’
Rex was hoisted up onto Biowulf’s shoulder. The hulking Evo carried him through the dark and twisting forest of Abysus, home of Rex’s arch-enemy, Van Kleiss. He leapt easily over fallen logs and exposed roots, and Rex actually found himself feeling relieved that he wasn’t being made to walk. In his current condition, he didn’t think he’d have been able to make it all the way to …
Van Kleiss’ castle. It stood at the edge of the forest, but it looked as if it were being claimed by the trees. Roots and branches grew over the crumbling stone. Moss and ivy spread like a rash across the parapets. Through the narrow windows, Rex could see nothing but darkness.
With a grunt of effort, Biowulf hoisted Rex higher on his shoulder and made his way towards the castle entrance.
‘Hey, isn’t there a movie on this flight?’ Rex asked. ‘Or some complimentary nibbles or something?’
‘Shut up,’ Biowulf growled.
‘What’s the matter? Am I getting too heavy for ya?’ Rex grinned. He was doing his best to hide his fear. ‘You know, I can’t help thinking it would’ve been a lot easier if Breach had just made another portal.’
Biowulf stopped walking. Slowly, he turned and glared at Breach, who was still shoving the technician along ahead of her. Breach gave a slightly embarrassed shrug of her oversized upper arms, and a red hole appeared in the space directly ahead of the group.
‘Wow,’ said Rex, shaking his head. ‘It’s easy to see why Van Kleiss is the brains of the operation.’
With a growl, Biowulf dropped Rex to the ground. He opened his clawed hands wide and loomed over the fallen boy. ‘Right, that’s it,’ he snarled. ‘You’re going down.’
Summoning all his strength, Rex dragged himself back to his feet. He met Biowulf’s stare and shot it straight back at him. ‘Bring it on, dog breath!’
‘Uh … pardon me?’
Biowulf and Rex turned to see who had spoken. The technician stood beside them, nervously wringing his hands.
‘What?’ they both asked at once.
‘Well, it’s just … I mean, it may not be my place to … to …’ He swallowed hard. ‘I believe Mr Van Kleiss needs the boy unharmed.’
Biowulf’s already narrow eyes narrowed even further. The technician seemed to shrink beneath his gaze.
‘Um … just saying,’ the man in the mask whimpered.
‘What do you mean, he needs me unharmed?’ Rex demanded. ‘Why does he need me?’
‘None of your business!’ Biowulf barked.
Rex frowned. ‘It’s totally my business. Think about it.’
This seemed to confuse the wolf-like Evo. He shook his head, then gave Rex a shove towards Breach’s portal. ‘Then see for yourself!’
In a flash of red light, Rex found himself standing inside a room in the castle. The same roots and branches grew up the walls here, but it was what was in the middle of the room that was holding Rex’s attention.
Van Kleiss was lying on a hospital-style bed, connected to four machines, not unlike the ones Rex had been hooked up to.
As Rex stepped through the portal, his arch-enemy raised his head and smiled.
‘Ah, Rex,’ Van Kleiss said. ‘I hoped you’d come.’
‘You didn’t exactly leave me much choice!’
‘Yes, please accept my apologies for that,’ Van Kleiss said. ‘But it was very important I got you here. In fact, you might say it was a matter of life and death.’
CHAPTER 14
A FIRM SHOVE FROM Biowulf sent Rex stumbling towards Van Kleiss.
‘That’s enough, Biowulf,’ Van Kleiss warned. ‘Rex is our guest here, not our prisoner.’
‘I know how you treat your guests,’ Rex said. ‘I think I’d rather be a prisoner.’
Van Kleiss opened his mouth, but before he could speak he was gripped by a violent fit of coughing. When the coughing eventually subsided, Van Kleiss lay back on the bed and let out a low groan.
‘What’s the matter?’ Rex asked. ‘Has poor little Van Kleissy caught a cold?’
The villain smiled, grimly. ‘Something like that.’
‘OK, so you got me here. Now, tell me what you want so I can say “no” and then go home.’
‘I need your help, Rex,’ Van Kleiss said.
‘No,’ said Rex. ‘See ya.’ He turned to leave, only to find Biowulf blocking his path.
‘Please, at least hear me out,’ Van Kleiss said. ‘If you still wish to leave after that, so be it.’
Rex turned back to the bed. He’d never seen Van Kleiss looking so weak. Now would’ve been the perfect time to take him down for good, if it weren’t for the fact that Rex was still drained, too.
‘You got one minute,’ Rex told him. ‘Then I’m outta here.’
‘Very well,’ Van Kleiss said. ‘That is a most generous offer.’
‘Fifty-five seconds,’ Rex said. ‘Start talking.’
‘I am dying, Rex.’
Rex shrugged. ‘And that’s my problem because …?’
‘I know we’ve had our differences, Rex,’ Van Kleiss wheezed. ‘But this is my darkest hour. My nanites have become unstable. My strength has left me. We may be enemies, but surely you could not stand back and allow me to die?’
Rex pretended to think about this. ‘You know, I think I could?’ he said at last. ‘Yeah. I have no problem with that. Now, are we finished, or was there something else?’
The Trade Page 4
