KINGDOM BATTLE//AU

6//The Ballad of Rex Greene

   The Ziggies seemed to share glances with smirks on their faces. Cassie became red with rage seeing them. Yet, it was all because she was near powerless. She made sure Luke was with her, at her side. 

   "Take the 'heroes' to the king!" Stopper would order.

   With those orders, the enemies grabbed hold of the heroes, propping them up like prisoners. With a silent order from Beep-0, the two would put their weapons away into the weapon jewelry or whatever it was called. With Stopper in the leader, down the pathway they went. 

   Through the trees, Beep-0's readings told him that it wasn't just the Ziggies and Stopper keeping eyes on him. Beady eyes stared from the bushes, smoke rising from jaws. These were Firetrap's, carnivorous fire-spitting plants that lived deep within this here jungle. Amazing what you can find out when your connected to whatever created this realm! Aren't these the things Stopper mentioned a bit ago?

   Finally, the enemies let go, pushing the heroes into a clearing of grass and what seems to be ruins of civilization, the latter plants have taken back. Sunlight is still blotted out mostly, yet many rays reach in like streamers hanging from windows. They all stared as more enemies, Hoppers and Ziggies alike would make themselves known from behind cover. They were surrounded!

   Cassie would get up first, looking around for whatever 'authority' wanted to give her a test. She hated tests. 

   And as if replying to her thoughts, a voice would boom over all of them. 

   "This is no test, it is merely what comes after the test!" The voice shook the ground. "This is real life! Tests have nothing to do with free thinking!"

   Coming from the shadows of a arch covered with thick leaves draping over it like curtains, emerged a familiar form that shocked Cassie, Luke, somewhat Beep-0 as well. 

   It was nobody other than Rex Greene!

   Cassie knew Rex's face well. He had rosy skin that complimented his blonde hair that was tipped with the same shade of green of his eyes. 

   But this wasn't Rex. Whoever this was, he was wearing a red cape of some leafy material over his back, and a hood adorned with teeth with it's own hood of huge yellow petals, like a sunflower. Vines tied over his waist like a belt, the ends following like flowing tentacles. The two leaves resembling the nicked rabbit ear symbols of the others over his hoods gave away the fact that he was in charge here. It was still Rex, even with slightly broken glasses.

   Luke couldn't help but gasp in shock, and shout. "Rex!?"

   "That's Firetrap Rex to you!!" Rex would snap back in a hiss. 

   "No way..." Luke would run over and stand next to Cassie, grasping her arm like always. 

   Beep-0 would push his way to the front, but instead of facing Rex, he'd face Cassie and Luke. "You know this guy?"

   Cassie rolled her eyes, shooting a look of apology back to Rex. "Yeah. Looks like he's under the influence of what the others are under-"

   "Influence!?" 

   The two stepped away from Beep-0 in alarm as Rex had swung himself in the way, towering over Cassie and Luke with a rage filled gaze.

   "I am NOT under any influence of anything! I have become one with my love of nature. With me protecting the Firetraps, I forbid any unauthorized entry inside our home. You know how much you harm your environments, right?"

   He didn't allow a answer to the question. 

   "It just happens to be you three who show up!" He ranted. "Stopper over here told me of your 'heroics'....tell me Cassie, think of who a hero REALLY is!"

   Cassie tried to answer this. "A 'hero' is....heroic?"

   Rex suddenly grasped hold of her arm, lifting her into the air with one of his vines. Smoke and sparks he literally spat. "Wrong answer!"

   He coiled back a fist to attack. Cassie panicked, and got out her blaster, blasting him between the eyes with a ray of light. Rex recoiled, screaming and covering his face while dropping Cassie, who ran back to get find cover. With a roar, Rex commanded the army of Ziggies and Hoppers.

   "Seize them!" He cried, multiple of the latter rushing from cover.

   The fight was on! Even though Cassie and Luke were outnumbered, they stood bravely. With a dash Luke first took care of a couple of Ziggies that came his way before zapping two Hoppers trying to launch each other to high ground. His adrenaline was rushing after kicking a Ziggy square in the jaw. He even forgot about Rex right before the fire-filled raging king was to shoot flames at the crowd. Luckily he jumped back, not without burning his arm just a bit.

   "Cassie, you go take care of Rex! Keep him away from me!" Luke shouted to Cassie, who was climbing up atop a ruined pillar, shooting at distracted enemies.

   Cassie nodded to Luke, sweating as she kicked a Ziggy in the nose, the latter coiling back in defeat. She'd turn her attention back towards Rex, who was readying another fire attack at Luke. How was she going to grab his attention? She would see a vines hanging down to the arena from trees, and remembered how Rex swang into her talk with Beep-0 not long ago. Trusting her instincts and movies, she grasped the vine and swang it.

   She would scream a bit as the vine swang forward, yet as it was to circle the moving arena, she kept her eyes on the bright red figure. Not even guilt could catch her as she fired her blaster at the back of her head, then crashing right into him. 

   Rex shouted in surprise and anger as he tripped. He lifted himself back up with his vines, grabbing at Cassie again. This time, she was ready, and threw a punch at his chest before rushing for cover, ready to fire again. This...it wasn't Rex. She would fire at him all she wanted to! 

   "Come out and fight me! Coward!" He'd hiss, fire building up his throat. 

   Cassie took this as a challenge, and shot out with a dash to trip him up yet again. But even with the punches, kicks, and shots, he still wouldn't back down! She'd turn back at Luke, who was trying to get out of the crowd that Rex sent upon him. 

   "Ignore the army or whatever it's called!" She'd shout to him. "I need help!" 

   "That pipsqueak can't help you!" Rex pointed, shouting. "I'll crush your skulls in for this!" 

   Luke's bworb beam would get a hit at Rex, knocking him into the wall of a cover.

   "You dare?" He would continue to hiss.

   With Luke and Cassie having the mad king of the woods cornered, it seems that the army dispersed. Yet Stopper still had some more words to spit.

   "Go to the tower, I dare you!" They would scream. "I'll get you there!" And they ran away.

   Rex would just stare at the heroes, the two of them giving some sour looks to him.

   "Where's the kid we're supposed to be looking for?" Cassie broke the silence.

   "I don't know." Rex replied sternly.

   "Where is he!?" Cassie would take a angry step forward.

   In reaction to this advance, one of Rex's vines grasped hold of Cassie, lifting her into the air in a fit of rage. With roars of anger, Rex would toss her around, hitting the grass multiple times before they returned to the position where he was ready to toss a punch. This time, Luke would trip up Rex, him falling to the ground dazed, not able to fight anymore. Cassie got up, breathing heavily. 

   "Okay, is he gonna turn back to normal Rex now?" She'd say as Beep-0 came from his hiding spot.

   The robot looked over Rex, clearly scanning him.

   "My readings say...no. Not until we get Spawny, and reverse all of this!" Beep-0 would say. "I suggest we take him back to Frederick and Michael, just so he doesn't follow us and or cause trouble." 

   With those orders followed in quick time, leaving the out of control Rex with their friends at HQ, the search for Spawny resumed as the sun set over the tower, the next point of investigation.