#and yes i'm more than aware that rex and noah aren't canonically boyfriends

[theaxolotlkween]

Sometimes I remember how fucking funny "Rampage" is as an episode. Like "Payback", the season one finale, has us all geared up for a big fight between Rex and Van Kleiss (I think the term Rex used was "nanite war", pretty hypey way to refer to it) and then we get "Rampage". On a side note, having ramifications for "Payback" in the form of Rex having to crash on his boyfriend's couch is cool. Sort of a neat little way to convey how bad that attack was.

Anyway, we're all geared up for a nanite war, we got some exposition and stuff, and then Van Kleiss just. Shows up. He's here to steal Providence's new power core. On any other day, this would be a bit out of character for him. He's usually pretty goal-focused. He has what he's trying to get to further his evil plans and if he gets to settle an old score? Even better! For him, at least.

The reason I say that this would normally be out of character is that he does not in any way shape or form NEED Providence's new power core. Whatever he does to get his money, he has it and he has a lot of it. Of course it seems like very little goes to the cause of not making his country terrible, because he's a dick, but the point is if he needed a power core he could ABSOLUTELY just buy one. He could probably buy a better one, in fact. He might have a better power core already that's still functioning. He is doing this because he is a petty bitch.

Dude was salty af about not getting to destroy Providence, found out that they had a new power core, and decided to take his salt and rub it in Providence's almost-getting-destroyed-wound by stealing it. And then he turned Rex's boyfriend into an EVO just for shits and giggles, and spent the entire episode just getting the shit kicked out of him (except for that one scene where he's fucking creepy) by getting hit by forklifts and trains and a super fun fight with Rex's new build and soon-to-be unEVO'd boyfriend. AND HE STILL WINS, even though Rex beat the shit out of him and cured Noah, BECAUSE HE GOT THE POWER CORE.

It dashes your expectations in the funniest way possible and the writing still makes it feel completely in character, even though VK has never pulled shit like this before and never will again. And it is my favourite episode, mostly because I get to watch Van Kleiss get hit by a train. He should do that more often.