Weekly Oneshot #10: (Not So) Alone and Afraid

Clank stood on a step ladder and looked down at the sink full of dirty dishes. His metallic palms grasped the end of the counted and his fingers were attempting to dig into the wood and granite that it was made out of. The little bulb on top of his head pulsed violently as he took several, non air filled breaths. However, no matter how many times he did it, it did not subdue the anger that he felt inside of him.

About fifteen minutes ago, Clank was pacing around the apartment worryingly. His friend Ratchet had suddenly disappeared, and he had no idea where he was. The robot tried calling him, but he always got sent to voicemail. The robot had been very tempted to call the police and send out a search party, but that temptation was destroyed by Ratchet walking through the apartment door with a box in his hands. Clank of course demanded to know where he had been the whole time, and the Lombax proceeded to place the box he was holding on the living room table and pull out what was inside. It was a VG-9500 System and there was also a brand new game that came along with it. Clank observed the system and asked Ratchet why he got it. Ratchet told him that there was a new game that he really, really wanted to play, but he didn't have the correct system to play it, so he bought the console along with the game. The little robot then asked how he was able to afford such an expensive console and video game with the low amount of money that they had. That was when the tension started. Ratchet nervously rubbed the back of his neck and told Clank that he tapped into their emergency fund, and that made the robot very angry. Clank yelled at Ratchet that he couldn't be spending their emergency bolts on ridiculous things such as a video game console, and that the Lombax was completely reckless. Ratchet retaliated by telling Clank that he was the one who made the bolts, and he could spend the money however he pleased. Their argument went on for several minutes until Ratchet finally gave up on the robot. He had grabbed his system and told Clank to sleep in the living room tonight, and he stormed into his bedroom and locked the door behind him, leaving Clank all alone.

After the fight, Clank attempted to calm down by doing a bit of cleaning, and he started with the dishes. However, the fury that he felt still burned inside of his red pulsing heart. He couldn't believe that Ratchet used their emergency money to buy a video game. What if something happened to them and they needed money for food, supplies or weapons? A VG-9500 couldn't save their lives in a life or death situation. Sometimes he seriously wondered if there was something wrong with that Lombax. He could be completely unbearable at times.

So tonight, Clank was on his own, without Ratchet. He would sleep in a chair or the couch, but, after what that Lombax did, he was perfectly okay with that. It was not like that he absolutely had to sleep in Ratchet's room in order to rest properly. He didn't need someone there with him, he wasn't a child.

The little robot picked up a glass and began cleaning it, ringing the inside with water and soap and then drying it. He couldn't help but notice that he was scrubbing a bit hard, he was close to possibly breaking the glass. So he let up a little bit. Clank had to control his anger, just a little bit. That was one of the high points of being him, of being a robot, he could control his emotions better than organics. However, Clank really wasn't like other robots. He understood emotions very well. He understood the emotions happy, sad, angry, annoyed, bored, irritated-

Rumble...

...And fear.

Clank looked over his shoulder at the large windows that made up most of one of the apartment's walls. His eyes went a little wide as he saw dark clouds rolling in, and they did not look friendly. Still holding the glass, Clank climbed down from his step ladder and walked over to the window and put one hand on it while observing the dark clouds. Another rumble traveled through the apartment, and the robot felt his heart pulse increase. He knew what these clouds meant, and he did not like it one bit. Sure enough his prediction came true and a downpour of rain began coming down and smacking the large windows, leaving little splatter marks. As more rumbles came in, Clank backed away from the window, his hands tight around the glass. No, no not now. Of all times that a storm could have come, it had to be a night where he and Ratchet had a fight. It had to be a night where Clank was forced to sleep out in the living room with the large windows. The robot was not ready for this, he had to get into Ratchet's room. He wanted to feel safe. However, the Lombax was most likely still mad at him, but it was worth a shot. And who knew? Maybe Ratchet had calmed down already.

So, Clank made his way out of the living room and down the hallway, stopping at the very last door on the left. He could hear the sounds of Ratchet's video game through the door, and it made Clank feel his anger again. However, another rumble mad the anger dissipate. Now was not the time to get angry again. He needed to focus on getting Ratchet to let him in. So, with a great amount of hesitation, Clank took a deep, non air filled breath and the robot raised his hand and knocked on the door lightly.

"R-Ratchet? May I come in?"

"No!" Ratchet yelled back, making Clank jump.

"But, I want to come in. There is a st-"

"I said no, Clank!"

"Ratchet, please. I will not bother you, just let me in-"

"I told you to sleep in the living room! And if you keep bugging me, I'll make you sleep on the roof! So I suggest that you go away!"

A sad looked formed on Clank's face. Ratchet was really mad, even madder than him. Then again, the Lombax did have a bit of a short temper, but he wouldn't even let Clank into his bedroom, so this was definitely a high level of anger. Clank had to face it, he was not going to get into the bedroom, and he had to spend the night with the storm. The robot left the bedroom door and ventured back down the hallway and into the living room. He looked at the glass that he was holding, its clean surface shimmering in the apartment's light system. As long as he was had a clean glass, he might as well have a little bit of oil and try to calm down. So Clank turned to the kitchen area and prepared to walk towards the refrigerator-

BOOM!

Clank dropped the glass as a thunderclap shook the apartment, and a flash of lightning streaked across the sky. The glass shattered on his foot, tiny shards entering the small openings and cutting up the wires inside. Soon after that, oil blood seeped out of the openings and leaked onto the floor. The little robot kneeled down and held his injured foot, but it was a bit hard to do with his body now trembling.

"Ow...this is not good," Clank said to himself, observing the leakage. He would have gotten something to clean all of the blood up, but another flash of lightning stopped him. His metallic heart was pulsing rapidly, as was his little antennae bulb. Clank thought to himself 'I do not like this! Get the lightning away from me! Lightning is very, very bad!'

Clank held himself and trembled violently, trying to think of what to do. His fear was at its peak, it always was whenever lightning showed its terrifying face. Thinking that it couldn't get any worse than what was going on right then, Clank's eyes went wide as the lights suddenly went out. Oh no...the storm must have knocked out the power. It was completely dark, except for the occasional flash of lightning. Clank held his head, trying to block out the sounds of the thunderclaps. Every time he heard one, he could feel the heat of the lightning bolt from Oltanis. The day that bolt hit and nearly killed him haunted the little robot's memories for years. And it's because of this fear that Clank absolutely despised thunderstorms. He had a little method to help with this problem, but there was one crucial thing missing that, at this point, he couldn't even get near: the comforting presence of Ratchet. But by the way things looked, he wouldn't be seeing Ratchet for awhile.

Ratchet sat on his bed while intensely focusing on his video game. The game was even better than he had imagined it to be. The graphics were so awesome, it was like he was actually inside the game with his character! This game and system were worth every single bolt! Clank on the other hand thought that he was being reckless by buying it. The Lombax growled as he thought of the robot. What right did Clank have to tell him what he can and can't buy with the money that he earned throughout their adventures and mechanic business? It was his money, and he would spend it however he pleased. Ratchet couldn't believe that Clank even had the guts to come to the door and try to get in. There was no way that he was letting that robot in. If he didn't like sleeping in the living room when he started an argument, then he could just move out. Actually...now that Ratchet thought about it...why did Clank want in so badly? Usually after a fight, the two would simply ignore each other, but Clank sounded really desperate when he was knocking on the door. What got him so riled up?

BOOM!

Ratchet nearly jumped off the bed as a loud thunderclap shook the entire apartment. He had no idea that there was a storm going on outside. How? He had no idea. Now that he was paying attention, he could hear the rain pounding on the small window. This was definitely a downside to living in such a high up apartment. Storms tend to hit a bit harder, and it was bothersome sometimes.

The Lombax stood up and took a peek out the window. Sure enough, there were dark storm clouds surrounding the apartment, and flashes of lightning kept flying by. Ratchet wondered how badly this would effect the apartment, but he decided not to worry. He simply got back on the bed and started playing his game again. However, as another thunderclap sounded through the skies, Ratchet's eyes went wide as the TV screen and every light in the room went dark. This of course frustrated him because he would have to start at the last save point, which he hadn't passed for awhile. Blackouts sucked, they really, really did. So, the Lombax got up and unlocked and opened the door to his room. Clank wasn't at the door anymore, so that was good. He ventured out into the hallway and into the living room, where it was also mostly dark. The only light that he had with the slight glow from the storm, and the lightning actually helped a lot.

"Alright, let's see..." Ratchet opened a drawer in the kitchen and felt around in it. Nothing. He dug through another drawer. Nothing. After digging through the third drawer, the Lombax's ears perked as he felt the cylinder shape of a flashlight. He pulled it out and turned it on, shining it around in several places to get a sense of where he was in the kitchen. Then he said loudly. "I bet this blackout is making you happy, isn't it, Clank? Without the power I can't play my game...Clank?"

Ratchet shined the flashlight around as he received no answer from the little robot. In fact, he didn't even hear the little 'whir' sounds he made when he moved. He went into the living room and looked around, shining the flashlight on the couch and the chairs, yet he found nothing. This was strange. Where in the world was he? He didn't leave the apartment, because Ratchet would have heard the door close. Where could he...

The now wide eyed Lombax nearly dropped the flashlight as he remembered something very important. Something that was both sad and painful to remember. First adventure...Oltanis...a raging storm...

BOOM!

The thunderclap jogged Ratchet's memory. That's right...Clank was afraid of lightning. No wonder he was knocking at Ratchet's door, he wanted in so he could hide in his bedroom. But, since he was denied access, he was forced to find another place to hide. No wonder Ratchet couldn't find him, it's because he stored himself somewhere so he could stay away from the storm. The Lombax was tempted to search for Clank, but he shook his head. Why should he go and comfort him? That robot called him reckless, and told him what he could and couldn't do with his money. So, with anger still burning within him, the Lombax took the flashlight and headed back to his room. But, as he did, a new feeling washed over him, dousing the anger. When Ratchet arrived at the bedroom door, he put a hand on the doorway and looked at the floor. He felt a bit weird. He wanted to be mad at Clank and he wanted to stay away from him...but at the same time he wanted to find him. After taking a few deep breathes, his anger subsided a tiny bit. Maybe...maybe it wouldn't hurt to at least know where the robot was. But after finding Clank, Ratchet planned on going straight back to his room. Yes, that was the plan.

So, after taking a few more deep breaths, Ratchet shined the flashlight down the hallway and began searching for the robot. Clank was little, so he could basically hide anywhere. The Lombax searched every small space that he could find. He looked in and under the couch, behind the bookcase, behind the TV, under the table, in the bathroom, in the garage, even in the refrigerator. However, each result turned up the same: no robot. Ratchet was actually about to give up and simply return to his room, but he couldn't help but become worried when he couldn't find Clank. So, after checking all of the kitchen cabinets, the Lombax decided to start heading towards the living room again. However, when he shined the flashlight towards the ground so he could see where he was going, Ratchet discovered a small puddle of oil. Raising an eyebrow, he got down onto the ground and checked the little puddle. After observing it with the light, he discovered that there was actually a trail of it, and it led right to a lower cabinet. Ratchet crawled over to it and grabbed the little handle, then pulled it open to revealed the tiny green eyed robot himself, who had curled up into a tight metallic ball. The Lombax felt a large sense of relief wash over him, but he was still mad. So, he shined the light at Clank and asked impatiently.

"What are you doing?"

"Hiding..." Clank said quietly.

"Of course you are. Because whenever a storm shows its face, you just have to hide."

"You know why I hide, Ratchet..."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. You're scared, aren't ya?" Clank didn't respond, all he did was give a single nod. "You know, Clank, you're gonna need to get over this fear at some point. What if we're on a mission and there's a storm? Are you just gonna quit and hide in the-" Ratchet's eyes went wide and he frowned when he saw the robot's bloody foot. He observed it. "Pal, what happened to your foot?"

"I am sorry, but I accidentally dropped one of the glasses when I heard the thunderclap. Some of the glass got into my foot and cut up my circuitry. It is most unpleasant, it hurts when I walk..."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because...I did not think that you would want to help me."

"Would not want to..." Ratchet trailed off to think to himself. What...what in the world was he doing? He was being mean to his friend just because of a little argument that they had. So much so that Clank thought that he didn't want to help with the robot's injury. The Lombax put on a slight pity face, "Clank, no matter how mad I am at you and no matter how much we argue, you know that I will always fix you."

"Really?" Clank asked, still talking quietly.

"Of course, buddy. Now why don't you come on out so I can clean that up? You're getting blood everywhere..."

"W-Wait! Is the storm ov-"

BOOM!

Clank jumped farther back into the cabinet and trembled violently, his green eyes flickering several times before they settled on a strained green. He was absolutely horrified. So much so that a thin line of tears formed at the bottom of his eyes. And his heart was pulsing so fast that he felt like that he was going to have a heart attack. Ratchet was amazed at how scared the robot was getting. He breathed the robot's name.

"Clank...?"

Clank started speaking in a hushed and strained tone, his eyes wide with fear and his body shaking. He was diving into his memories and digging out the one that he had attempted to lock away ever since it happened. "...It...it happened so quick. One moment I...I-I was on your back, ready to explore the planet of Oltanis. Then, the next thing I knew, a lightning bolt came from the sky and crashed into me. All I remember from the strike is my vision going completely white, and the sensation of falling. I also remember feeling massive amounts of pain, and then seeing the error message in my vision. And then...and then I was drowned in darkness. I am not going to lie but...I thought that I was going to die, and I was scared. When that lightning bolt struck me, I believed that my short life was about to end. That is why I am afraid of lightning. Every flash reminds me of the pain...and the error message...and the darkness..."

Ratchet simply stared at his frightened friend. Until then, he never really knew the real reason why Clank was afraid of lightning. He thought that it was just because the bolt on Oltanis startled him, but, turned out, it was so much more. Ratchet could hear a faint yelling in his head.

"Clank? Clank?! Come on! Wake up!"

When it happened, Ratchet did indeed think that Clank had died. But when the robot woke up, they both acted like nothing had really happened. The Lombax had no idea what trauma that Clank experienced from the bolt, since the robot had simply gotten up and went into the ship. Then again, he wasn't there to see the robot after he left, so he had no idea what Clank actually did after he was struck. But, looking at him now, he knew that it wasn't a good reaction. Ratchet needed to do something, he couldn't just leave Clank there like he had originally planned. Screw the argument that they had, he was going to help his friend no matter what. So, Ratchet stood up and quickly grabbed a rag and returned to Clank. Then be tied the rag around his foot, almost making it looks like a white sock. But the whiteness was starting to blacken with oil. Then he grabbed his friend by the shoulders.

"Come on, pal. You can hide in my room."

"But you told me to stay out here."

"Yeah, well, I was being a total butt earlier. And...and I'm sorry about that. Now come on, my bed comforter is clean and in perfect condition for hiding under."

"B-But what about the storm?" Clank asked, hearing the rain pound on the window.

"Hmm...I think that I have a solution. But you'll have to trust me."

"I do trust you, Ratchet."

"Alright. Scoot over here, and keep both your hands on your wound. You say that you trust me, well I want you to trust me on protecting you from this stupid storm."

Clank obeyed and scooted towards Ratchet, who picked him up when he was close enough. He felt the robot shake a little bit when he pulled him up in view of the window, but Clank kept his hands on the rag, keeping pressure on his wound. The Lombax then put his plan into motion. Ratchet held Clank in one hand, and then he used his other hand to cover his friend's eyes. And then he had the robot put his head on his chest to help him block out the thunder. The Lombax then proceeded to walk towards his bedroom, taking it nice and slow so he didn't startle his friend. Whenever the sound of thunder was heard, he felt Clank tremble either more, and he would even make a little whining sound. But Ratchet kept on telling him:

"Block it out, Clank. Don't listen to what that storm has to say. Just block all of it, out buddy. We're almost there, you're doing just fine..."

When Ratchet finally reached the bedroom, he quickly entered it and shut the door behind him. He sighed with relief and then set Clank down on the bed, letting him get out all of his trembling. The Lombax then quickly grabbed one of his shirts from his dresser and covered up his VG-9500 system. He didn't want Clank seeing that and becoming more upset.

After making sure that the console was completely covered, Ratchet turned back around and prepared to say something from Clank, but stopped when he noticed that there was no robot on the bed. The Lombax looked confused for a moment and looked around the bed for his friend. His ears twitched as he heard the sound of trembling metal, and it appeared to have been coming from the floor. Ratchet had an idea of where Clank was now. He got onto the floor and looked under the bed. Sure enough, he saw two big green eyes looking right back at his, and they were full of fear. He laughed a tiny bit.

"Hey, pal. What are you doing under there?"

"I am sorry, b-but I saw a flash of lighting come from the window, so I escaped under your bed. Will you please shut the blinds?"

"Yeah, I can do that," Ratchet said as he stood up. He went over to the window and took a quick glimpse outside. The storm was still going strong, and it wasn't really showing a single sign of stopping. It was going to be a long night, he could already tell. After closing the blinds, which made the room very dark. But at least it blocked the majority of the lightning flashes. So, with that, Ratchet got back down on the floor and looked at his friend. "Alright, they're closed. Now come on out from under there. I don't like seeing my best pal hiding under the bed."

Ratchet held his hand out to Clank, and the robot grabbed it with one hand. Then he was dragged out from under the bed and lifted up onto the bed. He sat there, attempting to calm down, but his heart was just going way too fast for him to do that. Ratchet got up and sat on the bed next to him. They sat their in silence for a few minutes, Clank flinching violently whenever a little thunder boomed through the skies. However, whenever he wasn't flinching, Ratchet noticed that Clank was glancing at the shirt covered consoled. Even after covering it, he knew that it was there. The Lombax's guilt grew every time Clank looked at it, until, eventually, he let out a great big sigh and caught Clank's attention.

"Look...Clank...I am really, really sorry about buying that game console. It was extremely wrong of me to take money from the emergency fund. I was just too excited about buying the stupid thing for me to realize that," he sighed again. "You were right, I can be reckless sometimes. I shouldn't have yelled at you and kicked you out of the room. And, if you want me to...I'll return it to the store in the morning and get the money back."

Clank sat there for a few moments so he could ponder about everything that Ratchet had just told him. Even though he was shaking and his heart was racing, the robot spoke in a calm and collected voice. "Ratchet, first of all, I myself would like to apologize for yelling at you. Secondly...even though I am still upset about you spending a chunk of our emergency fund on a video game system, I am not going to make you take it back."

"W-Wait, really?"

"Really. However, I have one condition that you must meet."

"Yeah, anything."

Clank pointed to himself, "You allow me to play games on it as well."

Ratchet stared at the robot for a second, trying to figure out if he was being serious or not. But his thinking face soon turned into a smiling face, and then he even started to laugh a little. Then he grabbed Clank, who was laughing a little because he was laughing, and pulled him into a hug, "I freaking love you, pal."

"Hehehehe!"

A flash of lightning burst through the cracks of the shades and invaded Clank's vision. Of course he jumped a little, but then he placed his head on Ratchet's chest and blocked everything out with his friend's heartbeat. It was alright, he told himself. Ratchet was there to protect him, he knew that the Lombax wouldn't let any lightning bolt get to him. Inside Clank's mind, he could feel the memory of Oltanis beginning to fade. It was being locked away in a place where no one could reach it. He could see the image of an orange Lombax helping him seal away that memory. And with that, as Clank remained wrapped in Ratchet's arms, he found his long time fear to be no more.

Whoa...this one was a long one...yay!

And I can't believe it took me this long to make a oneshot about Clank's fear of lightning! Ever since I've started reading R&C fanfics I've wanted to do one about Clank and lightning! And I finally did it!

Anyway, sorry if the title of the story isn't too good. Took me forever to think of one and this one was the best I could think of.

Make sure to leave a review while picking up your complimentary toaster!

This is Amberdiamondswords, Lordess if Diamond Swordness, pledger to Tobuscus, signing off!