Heya, everyone. Before we get started, I'd like to update you on what's going on with my Ratchet and Clank stories. First off, The Machine is on temporary hiatus due to writer's block regarding it. Sorry to all my readers. Also, although I never wrote an epilogue for Dimensions, it is now officially considered complete, and it's sequel will be up sometime in the future. Now for Nefarious Gaming- still gonna update it now and then, but the time between updates may be long. The Expanse will be continue being updated as well.
This story will not be updated as frequently as The Expanse, though, because I want that story to be my primary focus. Also, I know this concept is kinda overdone, but I like it, and besides, I'm not going to be going with the Ratchet x OC gig anyway. I won't say why, though. And this is officially my first Ratchet and Clank fanfiction to be written in the first person. Yay...
This is an experiment, sort of, so please bear with me. And now that my giant speech is over... story time! :)
. . .
"Disengaging primary cryofeed."
I sleepily yawn widely, and then open my eyes, only to see I'm hanging upside down. "Augh! Where am I?! What the heck is happening?!"
I hear a voice a few feet away ask, "Clank, where are we?"
I look and see... Ratchet? What? This seriously cannot be happening right now...
"I do not know," another voice replies. It was Clank. "Have you located Qwark?"
I look and see Qwark and Nefarious. Great. I've somehow ended up in the Ratchet and Clank universe and I don't know which game this is and Nefarious seems to have somehow survived the destruction of his space station and Qwark is here and... okay, I really need to calm down. No, I can't calm down. This is some kind of dream... right?
"A little help here... someone?" Qwark asks. "I think my thing is broken." Then he saw me. "Hey, another Lombax!"
Ratchet and Clank then look me. Ratchet waves nervously. "Uh, hi?"
"What...?" I look at my hands, which are gloveless and are covered in silver fur. This just keeps getting better and better... then I look at Nefarious. He's frozen, playing a broadcast of Lance and Janice. Qwark slaps him, bringing the robot out of it.
Nefarious, needless to say, is not happy. "You TWIT! You dare lay your squishy hands on me? When I get down from here I'll rip you in half!"
Sure you will. And right at this moment, a little girl steps in. I see her on the platform down below as she asks, "Excuse me. Watcha doin' up there?"
"Eh, looking for a way down?" I say, cringing at my voice. It doesn't sound like my voice...
The girl gives us a salute and uses her... gadget thingamajig to activate the switch controlling these... things we're hanging from. We all fall down screaming and we end up bruised (or in Clank's and Nefarious' case, dented), but other than that, just peachy. The girl pulls at another switch. "C'mon. Head through the Sector Seven Air Vent and we'll rendezvous on the south side. A Galactic Scout never leaves before her mission is complete!"
Suddenly we're launched to another platform by the one we were standing on before. I guess it was a launch pad. I look around at my companions and sigh. This is just wonderful. Of course I'm being completely sarcastic. And then the computer decides to make her presence known.
"Organic lifeforms detected. Reroute to creature pen for probing and experimentation."
Ratchet, looking worried, says, "Probing? Wait-wait-wait, we're not test subjects, we're... uh... new trainees?"
"Very well," the computer replies. "Rerouting to training lab for gadget certification."
I cross my arms as we wait to go to the training lab. Of course, Ratchet has something to say to me. "So... how did you get here?"
"Uh..." I think a moment, trying to find a way to reply. "I dunno."
"'I dunno' she says," Nefarious mocks sarcastically.
I look at him. "Seriously. One second, I'm falling asleep on my couch reading, the next I'm here, with no idea how I got here. This... I... it... shouldn't be possible!" I clap my hands over my mouth, afraid to say more. Then I lower them. "This is just plain freaky."
Nefarious just rolls his eyes and crosses his arms. I look at Qwark, who's standing there sniffing his armpits. He sees me and immediately stops, blushing. "Uh... you saw nothing."
I shake my head, muttering, "Sure I didn't..."
Clank, hopping onto Ratchet's back, then asks, "What is your name?"
"Adara Lowry," I say.
We're now at the training lab. I see the Swingshot target and realise that this isn't going to be easy. Is it ever? I don't have a Swingshot. And even if I did, I wouldn't know how to use it.
Ratchet easily latches on and swings to the other side. Qwark follows. So now it's just Nefarious and me left. The robot looks at me, scowling. "What are you waiting for, squishy?"
"I don't have a Swingshot," I tell him.
Ratchet and the others are watching from the other side. Qwark calls, "Hey, hurry it up there! We can't sit around all day! Otherwise my voters will think I'm dead! And then they'll vote for somebody else!"
I ignore Qwark's ridiculous statement. "Don't you have foot rockets?"
"Yes," Nefarious replies, raising an eyebrow. "But they haven't been working recently. I haven't gotten around to repairing them yet."
"Well, there goes that idea," I mutter. "Um, I know you hate organic lifeforms, but unless you want to waste more time waiting for one of our allies to come swinging back and fetch me..."
"No way!" Nefarious shrieks, backing away a bit.
"What would you rather have?" I continue. "The others up your butt about leaving me behind, or sucking it up and holding onto me for a few measly seconds?"
"Fine," Nefarious says. "But speak of this to no one." Now where have I heard that before? Oh, yeah. My step-brother said that to me yesterday when I caught him sneaking cookies out of the kitchen. Wait till he hears about this. If he hears about this...
I wrap my arms around Nefarious, who leaps and grapples onto the Swingshot target. We swing to the other side, where Nefarious promptly shoves me away from him.
"Excellent work," the computer announces. "You will make fine minions."
"And then some!" I snark in reply.
"You have been scheduled for anger management class, minion."
"Sure I have," I say. Ratchet just gives me a look, then shakes his head.
"C'mon, we have to keep moving," he said.
The door in front of us opens up, and there's the girl again. "Over here! You guys are pretty smart. She thinks you're one of them."
Or five of them, I think to myself.
"An interloper has been located in the Sector Two training lab," the computer announces.
"Aw, man," the girl says. "That's my cue. Head through the lab to the equipment room. I left you a present at the charging station."
"What about you?" Ratchet asks.
"The minions are onto me," she says. "I'll lose 'em in the feeding station and meet you over by the south exit."
Then she leaves, and I see another Swingshot target.
"You're not getting another ride with me, squishy," Nefarious declares. "Ask someone else."
I look at Ratchet, who shakes his head. "You'd be too heavy for me to lift. And Clank wouldn't be able to, either." The Lombax then swings to the other side.
Qwark then walks towards me and says, "I can do it!"
I back away from him, not fond of the idea of clinging to his spandex. "Uhh, no thanks." Qwark looks disappointed, but doesn't press further. He merely swings to the other platform and waits for Nefarious and I.
"Fine!" Nefarious growls and grabs me unexpectedly. I let out a yelp. Okay, yeah, he's my favourite villain and I know pretty much everything about him, but this is... well, unexpected. We swing to other side, and I let go of the doctor before he can shove me off again.
"I hope we don't have to do this too often," he mutters. At this rate, I'm inclined to agree.
"At least we haven't run into any bad guys yet," I say aloud as we walk into the room ahead of us. And there are several of those gadgets that the one little girl had been using earlier. Five to be exact. Convenient.
Qwark walks over and pulls a piece of paper off the thing that the devices are sitting in. "Ooh, a letter. And it's written in macaroni! Dear Lombax, these Vac-U's will come in handy. Love Susie."
While he read the letter, I had gone over to inspect one of the devices. I press a button on it and Qwark's... well, butt gets sucked into it.
"Hey!" Qwark tries to pull himself out unsuccessfully.
Nefarious bursts out laughing hysterically. "My day just got a whole lot better!"
Ratchet just stares and rolls his eyes. I can't see Clank since he's hanging out on Ratchet's back still. I flush slightly, then pull the trigger on the device, shooting Qwark out... and he lands on top of Nefarious. The latter is obviously annoyed.
"Get off me, you moron!" Qwark immediately gets off the robot. Nefarious brushes himself off, giving the green-clad idiot a glare.
"Before we start killing each other," Ratchet tells them, "let's get to the south exit where the little girl said she'd be."
"I am inclined to agree," Clank says.
"Ditto," I say.
Qwark and Nefarious just look at us. The latter then snatches up a Vac-U. "Fine. We'll work together... for now."
. . .
And I'm gonna end the chapter here, because it feels like a good place to stop, and also because I'm a bit tired from writing. If there are any loopholes at all, let me know. Constructive criticism is appreciated. Now to point out a few things that are going to be different from the actual game:
1. Clank doesn't have the hookshot. He almost always hangs out on Ratchet's back in the previous games, so I find it unnecessary for him to have it in this story (even though he has one in All 4 One.)
2. I felt like Nefarious' inability to use his foot rockets at all in All 4 One needed an explanation, so it's explained in the dialogue in this chapter. Sort of.
This will get more interesting later on. Hopefully. We'll see.
And I think that's all, really. See you all next time, and live long and prosper! :) *now I'm kicking myself for even doing this*
