Work Text:
Rex was maybe twelve when he went on that fateful mission.
It was a rainy day, the wind making the raindrops harsh and cold. The temperature wasn’t the best, but Rex wasn’t one to complain (not yet, at least).
“So, what’s the game plan, Six?” Rex asked.
That was the other thing. While Rex was supposed to pay attention to every order White Knight told him, he only listened to Six. The twelve-year-old trusted Six’s judgement, which made sense since Six was his primary caretaker (much to Six’s dismay). Sure, Rex listened to Doctor Holiday too, but she wasn’t out in the field like Six was.
“It’s as White Knight said,” Six began. “You go in there when we tell you to, and you search to verify we got everybody out. Until then, you stay put.”
Rex pouted, but he didn’t try to argue.
(Looking back, Rex wished he had gone against orders. He still trusted Six’s judgement, don’t get him wrong, but there was something about that day that told him to go into that building as soon as possible, and he had ignored his instincts.)
After waiting half an hour to go into the collapsed building, Rex finally got the go-ahead. Quickly, the twelve-year-old started his search. To his relief, he didn’t find anyone else.
And then, he heard a noise.
It wasn’t loud, but Rex knew it wasn’t the building. Following it, he soon found himself in front of a collapsed part of the ceiling.
“Hello? Anyone there?” Rex called out.
Silence. However, his instincts told him there was someone under the concrete. Morphing his arms with his Nanites, he lifted the slab. What he found nearly made him throw up. There was someone underneath, but their body was unrecognisable. Their entire lower body had been crushed flat, blood pooling under them. Their upper torso and abdomen were still intact, but large gashes showed Rex the bones and muscle under the skin.
From what little Rex could tell, the person was most likely female.
Immediately, Rex reached for her neck to check for a pulse, her skin still warm.
Rex’s heart sank into his stomach.
There was no pulse.
“I heard you! I’m here to help!” he shouted.
He shook her shoulders.
Nothing.
“Please, please, please,” Rex begged. “Come on; wake up!”
Rex started CPR, but two minutes later, she still was unresponsive, her skin cooling against his fingertips. Tears made their way down his cheeks.
“Rex!”
Turning, Rex saw Six approaching him. Six froze when he saw the body.
“I-I’m s-sor-rry,” Rex started, his voice thick with emotion. “I-I c-coul-couldn-dn’t-t—!”
Six wrapped his hands around Rex’s wrists, the boy’s hands shaking.
“I know, kid,” Six replied. “It’s not your fault.”
Rex felt his chest heave with everything it had, the air getting harder to breathe. The world began to spin, and Six’s face pinched in concern. Vaguely, Rex remembered Six helping him through the panic attack and getting him away from the body.
He also remembered getting himself back together once they were back at Providence HQ. Or, more specifically, in Providence Labs while Doctor Holiday gave him a once over.
“Rex?”
Blinking back to the present, eighteen-year-old Rex looked at Six and Holiday’s worried expressions.
“You alright?” Dr Holiday asked.
“Y-yeah,” he stammered. “Just remembering is all.”
“Remembering?” Six questioned.
“Today was the day I found her .”
It took a moment, but Dr Holiday’s eyes lit up in recognition before they saddened in understanding.
“I’m sure she’s grateful you even found her at all,” she told him.
Rex nodded. What else could he say? He distantly felt Holiday pull him into a side hug, but he was already lost in his memories again.
He’d been twelve when he found his first dead body.
He’d been twelve when he didn’t save someone in time.
He’d been twelve when he vowed never to let something like it happen again.