Yeah, I'm back because this was an old request before I write my first Gen Rex shots.
Since some people are still think that the idea making César as the bad guy is (somewhat) 'remarkable'. I present another badass César…but this time, with more logical approach.
WARNING: I don't own Generator Rex and grammar Beta reader. English is not my first language and neither is Spanish
Set between the episode "Moonlighting" and "Without a Paddle". This probably explains what César had been doing while missing from those episodes.
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Six knew this day will happen eventually. César will take Rex away from Providence unless they give him what he wants. He wants a…what?
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"You know what, Six?"
"What?"
"He reminds me of you..."
Six twitched one of his eyebrows. To him, that last statement was insulting.
How the hell can he, the sixth most dangerous man in the world, be compared with this lunatic scientist?
"Well okay…you both were very different." Holiday added in, "But you both care Rex a lot."
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The alarm sound was echoing the whole room of Providence main base.
Someone had breached White Knight's secluded private room. The albino leader couldn't see the intruder that barged in, because the security cameras were dysfunctional. Rex wasn't currently present. The Providence's secret weapon was too busy investigating two dropouts from Providence basic who started their small EVO-busting business.
But White Knight had been prepared for this situation. He was currently putting on his anti-nanite armor on.
The only functional security system was the radio. Perhaps it was the only primitive item that didn't require wireless computer system.
"What are you doing?"
White Knight heard that Six was already on the door from that security radio. Good, that meant he could defend him from the intruder.
"Oh, Six. I was just wondering how to open this door."
White Knight twitched when he recognized that particular Latino accent. That voice belonged to César Salazar, Rex's long-lost older brother, the scientist whom he recently hired.
"This room belongs to White Knight. It is off limits."
"Why?"
"Because White Knight won't want any contact with outside world. He lives in nanite-free zone and refuse to be contaminated. He's the only person in the world who doesn't have any nanite in his body and prefers to stay that way."
"Ooooooh, so that's why he's a Mysophobic!"
Six's tone went irritated, "You have been working in this place and didn't know any of this?"
"Uhm... I only remember what Rex said. He told me not to disturb him"
White Knight had literally face-palmed. The high secured gate to his room was almost opened by an air-headed guy who didn't know the consequences. Seeing there's no point on putting the special anti-nanite suit, the albino boss leader placed it back to the shelf.
"Read the official job description next time... What's your business with him, anyway?" White heard Six's tone went weary.
"I want to talk with him."
"You could've just asked before you did something stupid."
"But I'm kinda lost in here. These directions in the base aren't effectively helping."
White Knight pressed the button on his desk. From it, he was communicating through Six's earplug.
"Just bring him to the briefing room, Six." White used a serious tone, though he was clearly exasperated, "Bring Doctor Holiday and some other agents too. We don't know what he's capable of."
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"This is ridiculous…" Six heard White Knight's complain. He was mumbling those words through the giant monitor which was placed on the main base's meeting room.
And as if the world had gone mad, Six agreed to his authoritarian superior for the first time, "Indeed."
After years of cold war with the infamous germ phobic superior, agent Six finally agreed with him. But who wouldn't think that this situation was crazy? White Knight had called most of the agents to standby. They were all heavily armed and ready for the obstacle in front of them.
So what did they face? Van Kleiss? The Pack? A high leveled EVO? A dangerous criminal, bandit or pirates?
No, just some moronic Hispanic scientist who sat in the middle of the room and had no idea that he almost endangering someone's life.
César Salazar sat casually on the seat. He didn't carry any weapon, but on his hand there were two small portable computer devices. The size of those things were one per fifth of most of the agents' gigantic guns. He didn't wear any armor, just some standard dull green military suit which he wore every day.
From his appearance, César looked completely harmless. But beware, appearance can be deceiving. Despite his humble form, Rex's older brother was much more menacing than any of the villains they had ever faced.
Who would've thought that beneath César's ditzy expression there's a brain with an IQ more treacherous than atomic bomb?
The need to secure this elder Salazar was exaggerating. But seeing how easily César breached the Providence base (without any EVO powers or explosives) the albino wouldn't let any chances. And César had done it much faster than what Van Kleiss could manage.
Right now, César wanted to talk with White Knight and most of the Providence agents. This subject seemed serious since Rex wasn't nearby. Six and the albino leader were slightly worried that the EVO teen wouldn't be here to 'tame' his older brother. But this whole commotion would bring confusion and uncertainty to him. It was better that Rex didn't know anything about this.
"So let me get this straight." César's voice awakened the tension in that room.
The agents reacted slightly. It was funny how one slight change of tone from that man could slightly alarm the agents. Oh sure, they were trained to handle various levels and types of EVO, evacuating or cleaning Rex's messes. But was 'handling a mad scientist' one of them? Hell, no...
"Should I trust my little brother to this organization?"
"You're criticizing our service?" White Knight huffed, "We had given him sanctuary, meal, luxury and employment."
"We had given him protection for the past few months." Six added in and then he narrowed his point, "We had sheltered him while you were irresponsibly gone for the past five years."
"I won't call a small cubic room is a sanctuary. You have a talking monkey to cook his meal. You are shoving him to the frontline during the mission. Protection? I'm not sure if this base is actually secured since I can get in here easily."
Six had a strong urge to take out his katanas and slice that doofus' smug face. The agents were all shuddered when they remembered their sardonic failure. Being envious of Rex's ability was one thing. Having controllable nanites was something that they couldn't manage. However, Rex's older brother was an ordinary man with no proper training...and that fact hurt their pride a lot.
That's when Holiday decided to stop Six and stepped forward.
"We back up Rex in case he can't handle the job. We have taking care of his nanites, manage his biometrics and make it stable, monitoring its movement if they can't be controlled. This is something that you can't manage alone."
"Yeah…you were right about that part. I need someone's help to keep looking at his health chart since I can't do that alone."
Six and the rest of the agents loosened up for a while.
"He didn't go to school?"
White Knight spoke, "As I recall, you didn't have any proper education either."
"Well, having scientist as parents you will end up being home-schooled. But I had proper high school in Mexico when I was a teenager. I think schools' purpose is not only for proper education but for developing socializing skills. I mean, honestly did you let Rex socialized at all?"
"We give him freedom to mingle with other people sometimes."
"That Noah guy? I thought he's an agent of yours."
"…was..." Six corrected.
"We couldn't let Rex go to proper school." Holiday objected, "If he accidentally activating his nanites, or hurting the students, they would've accused Rex for something he didn't seriously do."
"You were right about that part, again." César nodded.
Another score was given to the Providence thanks to Dr. Holiday. It seemed she was trying a new tactic to win this debate. Every time they talked better benefits for Rex, César would give up immediately.
The elder Salazar asked again, "Did he work over midnight?"
"Depends on the EVO activity."
"Hey, that passes his bedtime!"
"The EVO-s didn't have schedule to attack, Dr. Salazar..." White Knight answered.
"-and in my book that's called child labor. I should've called child service for this."
"For your information, we were funded by the government. Needless to say, they're on our side."
"That's because Rex has the ability to heal, the people and the government are happier and the Providence have more funds ever since he joins the Providence. Just because my little brother is generous, it doesn't mean you can use him like this."
"I can use him whenever I please!"
…and that was White Knight's biggest mistake.
Six just saw something familiar flashed from César's face when he looked at him. César was irritated. This is an expression he saw from Rex frequently, since both of the Salazars shared the facial resemblance. However, if Rex was angry, he was very sincere of his emotion. When César was angry, Six felt dark sinister aura engulfed him.
BUZZZZZ!
Without warning all of the present Providence agents were thrown outside the briefing room. The gate to the room closed and locked. Among the agents, Six recovered quickly to discover that they couldn't enter the briefing room. The agent was cursing mentally for not noticing César's capability.
César had other tricks up his sleeve. He used a mini gravity device that could throw a lot of heavy objects like magnet. He enhanced the gravity outside the briefing room pulling all of the agents away from it. At the same time the device was programmed to make him immune to the gravity effect. His other device was some sort of remote control. It was made to hijack the security system which allowed him to lock the room from inside. Now the elder Salazar was the only man on that room speaking to White Knight through the monitor.
Holiday and the rest of the agents recovered shortly from the impact after Six's awareness. They tried to open the closed gate, but their attempts were futile. While some of the agents were trying to destroy the security gate which it would require some time. The rest of the agents including Six and Holiday were carefully looking at the screen that was monitoring the room, complete with sound and a view of César's back. The front of Hispanic scientist was facing the giant monitor.
César Salazar had the full control now…
"You know Mr. White Knight. I don't mind if you insult me. But I do mind when you call my family as if he is nothing but an object...that really pisses me off. But I think it's not entirely your fault for being a cranky guy, trapped in this room for so long. So I decided to…'help'. You see this?" César raised the remote control, "This is the remote control to hack your gate system. It's the same stuff I'm using to open this Providence's base when I came in for the first time. Now if I push this button..."
White Knight was tensed. He had been careless. He suspected that bringing a lunatic scientist who was related to Rex was a bad idea. Then again…curse his prodigy brain! He needed that elder Salazar like it or not! Not only he's one of the key to cure the nanite problem, Rex wouldn't be cooperative if he banished him.
But in few seconds the albino leader had forgotten about it immediately. Screw his complains, he wouldn't want to lose over some moronic scientist! So he tried to reach few button commands…they're not responding. White Knight ran to his special nanite-free armor…it was locked.
"Oh by the way, I just hijacked all of the locks in that room. You shouldn't trust computers for locking your savings…especially if it had wi-fi connection."
Damn him…
"You wouldn't dare..." White Knight growled.
"Wanna bet?" César shoved the remote as his thumb touched the big red button's surface.
He had no time to get his protective suit or waiting for his agents recovery. César would push that button and open White Knight's room in seconds. If that happened the nanites will infect him.
"What do you want Dr. Salazar?" White Knight refused to give up that easily. But at least he had time to negotiate with César, so he continued to offer few deals. "Another computer parts? Money? Your brother?"
Agent Six was furious. Seeing how White Knight easily gave up Rex had sickening him, although he wouldn't expect anything from his superior anyway.
"It was an interesting bargain but I'll probably want one thing first."
"...and that would be?"
"I want savings..."
Six knew this! César didn't care about Rex. He wanted money. How dare he...
"...for my brother!"
What...?
The Hispanic scientist repeated, "I want savings for my little brother! He's a big boy now, he has to learn how to have his own earnings and be more responsible with money."
César's face brightened as he announced his idea. It was bizarre that his facial changed drastically from gloomy to cheery attitude once Rex was mentioned.
White Knight was staring at him numbly, but he then muttered, "...you suggest us to give him income?"
"Official allowance…as in, he will have a REAL bank account. Well, it's either that or you shouldn't make him work pass midnight."
"A bank account? This is ridiculous! I won't risk his potential on hacking the ATM machine!"
"I just want some gratitude. If it's the bank problem I could visit the bank for him."
"I already fund his needs. We haven't count how many times he runaway on midnight."
"Hey, I couldn't blame him. Midnight was the best time to runaway."
"-by fleeting from his duty?"
"He's still curing EVO-s even though he went away from Providence."
"We already wasted too many money for his destruction! I don't need to give a muta...I mean...a kid an income!" White Knight quickly changed his words, feeling wary of César's sudden behavior if his brother was insulted.
"What's the difference with the mutated EVO-s that caused destruction? What's the harm giving him pocket money? In Mexico he passed the Quinceañero already. He's a man now. He has the right to have allowance."
"Didn't you say that he's still a kid?"
"We can debate this all day long to determine that. But I can still make you breathe the fresh air outside right now, you know?"
"Fine! He can have allowance!" White Knight yelled, "Now throw down that thing away! Or, do you need anything else?"
"Oh me?" César perked up but then he waved his hands lightly, "If you keep giving me all necessary items for my science project. I wouldn't mind being an underpaid scientist. Although..."
White Knight groaned. He hated to do that entire lunatic scientist request.
"...a bigger lab room would be nice. It's getting cramp there because I have too many inventions piled up." César's goofy grin grew wider.
That mad scientist looked a lot less threatening now...
"That could be arranged." White Knight gave up because it wasn't much of a loss.
César turned off all of his devices, the entire security system returned to its normal state. The Providence main base's briefing room was opened and all of the agents rushed back in. The leader then talk to the agents, "Stand down everyone, the situation is under control now." To calm down his nerves, Knight poured another glass of milk.
"You're not such a bad guy after all! I'm glad we have finally agreed on something. It's a good thing Rex convinced me not to inject your food with nanites."
CRASH!
The glass on White Knight's shaking hand fell down to the floor, crashing into pieces once it hit the floor.
"Thank you for hearing out my ideas! I'll work harder for Providence, adiós!"
César left the briefing room and none of the Providence agents preventing his exit. Six and Holiday was distracted immediately when White Knight yelled.
"Doctor, get my food sterilized! I want all of my items uncontaminated too. Make it twice this time!"
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"This is..." Rex raised one of his eyebrows when he read the numbers on the small book. After his mayhem adventure with Rombauer and Lansky, he didn't expect to see that thing on his hand. He confessed to the pair of Providence washouts that he didn't have bank account…but now.
"Your own back account!" César proudly announced.
"I appreciate what you did...but I don't want to do all of those EVO fighting for money."
"Ah, my little brother is so kind. But think of this as pocket money. It's quite small compared to my income and other agents, but good enough for things you want to buy fun stuffs. Just don't buy weird things… and oh, try to use the ATM…the proper way."
"How did you convince White Knight to pay me, anyway? You didn't contaminate his food didn't you?"
"Of course not, I promised to mijo!"
Rex stared at him suspiciously.
"Okay...I think I made him mad because I almost open his room."
"César..." Rex groaned, although deep down he almost smile at his older brother's crazy attempt.
"Hermanito, every man has to make his own living. Besides, now you can pay your own ticket to some concert. You don't have to hijack Six's credit card."
Rex twitched, "H-how did you know about that?"
"I'm your older brother, I always know." But then César's grin faded as he scratched his own thick hair, "I think it's kinda bit my fault since I taught you how to hijack our Papá's credit card."
"..."
Somehow Rex had the weird feeling that his brother could be a bad influence to him.
"You begged me for buying toys. How could I resist your pleading face?"
Or he's just a plain gushy brother...
But then again, César always looked normal and less threatening if he's with Rex. It was as if his little brother was his only key to his sanity.
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After the hysteria went down and Six was sure that César was out of his range. The green clad agent used this opportunity to talk with White Knight.
"I told you that bringing him in was a bad idea."
"As I remembered, it was your promise to Rex's that you will find his family."
"Still, taking him in here was not what I had in my mind."
"Look, I don't like it as much as you do, Six. But that man will find other way to be with his brother if we cast him away. Didn't you realize that ever since he came along, this Providence's security changed its code frequently? ...and yet he always can control the shifting system, always..."
The corner of agent Six's mouth twitched.
"Don't worry, Six. Even though he's brilliantly treacherous, I found some weakness on him."
"Which is?"
"As much as César cared his younger brother, he can be distracted easily. So, as long as we had Rex in our hands, he wouldn't do anything hazardous. I let him play his games for now."
"It sounds like you don't mind letting Rex slipped away."
"Oh, I wouldn't let him go that easily. We could chase him if he's getting away from Providence with Rex. But you and I both know how much trouble we went through to locate those Salazar brothers. There's too much waste of energy, time and money. We had wasted Providence's ship gas just to pursue his strange spacecraft that went halfway the globe."
Six couldn't deny that, while he was remembering that previous chasing game.
"And I also want you to keep an eye on that man."
Great…he had to watch another Salazar.
"Babysitting a fifteen year old EVO is one thing." Six protested, "But I refuse to look after an immature lunatic man."
"Suit yourself if you let Rex to be deceived by his brother if he is not what he appears."
"..."
Six was silent, hating himself to be easily manipulated by White Knight easily. But the leader knew his weakness too. The agent would react as long as the topic is rotating to Rex's well-being.
"-and who say anything about taking care of him, anyway? I want you to spy on that man. You of all people knew there's something wrong about him. Your priority is still Rex, and we'll be against that elder Salazar if he's a threat to Providence. Rex wouldn't like our idea, but it was for everyone's benefit, wouldn't you agree?"
Six didn't like to disappoint his apprentice but he couldn't deny that offer. His priority is Rex's safety anyway.
"No word to anyone about this."
"Very well, Sir."
The meeting dismissed quickly as Six walk away the briefing room only to be greeted by Dr. Holiday, she was done scanning all of White Knight's food. It was the main reason why the albino leader went calm.
"You know what, Six?"
"What?"
"César reminds me of you..."
Six twitched one of his eyebrows. To him, that last statement was insulting.
How the hell can that he, the sixth most dangerous man in the world, be compared with this lunatic scientist?
"Uhm, because you two wear green?"
That was a ridiculous. The color of green is his trademark, not César's. Besides, Six heard from Rex that aside his usual attire, César wore blue pajamas or any blue colored clothing. The agent demanded more explanation from the female doctor.
"Well okay…you both were very different." Holiday added in, "But you both care Rex a lot."
Six decided to ignore Holiday's last statement. He wasn't sure if he should agree on that theory. His concern about Rex should've been obvious. But did César really care for his brother? He wasn't sure about that.
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"Why did you order one ton of titanium?" Six asked César when he was reading the budget chart.
"Oh that? It's a paddle."
"Paddle?"
"You know? The ping pong paddle?"
Six killed his urge to smack that Hispanic man's face, "Why on earth would someone need a paddle made of a ton of titanium?"
"It's for Rex." César shrugged as he pointed the black giant paddle made of titanium, "This titanium ping pong paddle was made to adjust with Rex's metal hands' momentum. He's going to have a ping pong competition with Noah...in some tournament."
The agent thought that it was useless to spy on this lunatic man. His use of his invention was controversial. But Six remembered that César was still a threat.
"You can't spoil him like this." Six said, crossing his arms, "He's not a kid anymore."
Somehow that last statement made César frowned. The twinkle in his eyes faded as he looked aside.
"Yeah...he's not the kid I used to know." His tone was slightly weak.
This made Six wondered if César missed the young Rex. Did he felt resent when Rex lost his memory? It only seemed like César was getting used being forgotten by his brother. But how many times did little Rex spend time with his older brother, and then he wake up forgotten everything about it?
Didn't that hurt César's feeling every time he raised his little brother only to face the bitter truth when Rex didn't recognize him anymore?
For few seconds, Six felt sympathy towards that Hispanic man...
...but then he was telling himself to stop being dumb.
The green clad agent had successfully suppressed his emotions quickly, just in time before Rex came in. The EVO teen stopped his tracks when he spotted Six on his way, knowing immediately that he was in trouble. Six prepared himself to give a full lecture to Rex. He also felt César's wary stare, his unpleasant aura intimidating him, but Six ignored it.
But as soon as he saw Rex's childlike face all his structured words were quickly vanished, Six could only say...
"Be careful."
Rex blinked, he thought he didn't hear it right. He hadn't got the time to figure it out because Six was already left.
Six's mouth puckered, because he couldn't scold the boy. The last thing he saw before he left César's lab was Rex's confused stare while his ears heard Rex's older brother's warm chuckle. The green clad agent sighed, perhaps Holiday was right. Even though he and César were very different, there's one thing that made them similar.
They both spoiled Rex...sometimes.
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Anyone who thinks that giant paddle was made from César raise your hands!
This idea came when I heard that Rex wasn't paid...he was funded but he wasn't paid. That shocked me and I'm pretty sure César won't be pleased when he heard this...
Writing Six and White Knight is very fun! I don't think WK wanted to abandon Rex that easily in 'Written in Sand'. In war tactical method, sending all of the soldiers to war was risky, he would rather let all the burden to Rex. This doesn't mean I'm on WK's side, he's still a jackass to me :P
Mysophobia: Fear of being contaminated with dirt or germs.