(Whooo! Guess who finally delivered on a promise she made [kind of...]!
For those that don't know what I mean, I'll start this off with the fact that today is our own Amberdiamondswords' birthday. I did get indirect permission to announce that to you guys [I couldn't give the surprise of my gift away, so that was a weird conversation], and I guess that now is when I should probably reveal my second "surprise." I've known about Amber's birthday for over a month and a half now, and ever since I found out, I've been working on different gift stories to give to her. At first this was supposed to be a Crossover fic, but I got about two days into April before I realized that my school schedule would prevent me from finishing it. But I was optimistic; I came up with a cute 4th wall-breaking story as a "back-up" gift a few days later and couldn't stop laughing at all the humor I would put into it. By the second week of April, I realized that the idea was absolutely terrible, and that it would be one of the crappiest gifts I could give a person. I struggled to come up with anymore ideas, and for the middle part of April I was extremely disappointed in myself for both failing to deliver on what I had promised and planning on coming up empty-handed on a friend's birthday.
I stayed this way until, oh, April 20th. I came across an old song that gave me a heavy nostalgia trip ["Umbrella" by Rihanna] and while I was listening to it, my mind wandered. An image of Ratchet holding an umbrella over Clank during a storm, the two of them smiling at each other, popped into my head. The image developed into a story idea, and almost instantly, I knew this story idea was the perfect one to write out and give as a gift.
I don't know how well I did on this, since I haven't published anything in a while, but I hope this turns out well. This was technically a rush job for me, and it became apparent halfway through the writing process that I did not know simple physics. If the science is wonky, that's on my part and I do apologize in advance.
Alright, enough of me rambling [at least till the end of the fic], let's get on with this story!)
Disclaimer: I do not own Ratchet and Clank or any of its characters. I do own a scantron and a pencil, both of which are going to be used on the 7:30 AM final I have today (yaaay...).
When the sun shine, we'll shine together
Told you I'll be here forever
Said I'll always be your friend
Took an oath, I'm a stick it out till the end
Now that it's raining more than ever
Know that we still have each other
You can stand under my umbrella
You can stand-
Under My Umbrella
You know those moments where you say something and fate gets back at you for it? Like when you say you'll just take a quick test drive with your new rocket sled while your robot friend is doing his bimonthly oiling and that you'll be back before he even notices your gone, only for fate to have you crash the sled and get a few minor and severe injuries from the wreck.
Something like that.
Ratchet winced as Clank rubbed disinfectant over one of the deeper cuts on the back of his hand. "Hey, easy there pal!" Ratchet yelped as a stab of pain shot up his arm.
Clank turned his head and glared at Ratchet. "Ratchet, I am being as gentle as I can be." The little robot hmphed as he turned around and grabbed the rubbing alcohol bottle from the first-aid kit beside him. "Maybe if you didn't take the rocket sled out before asking me if I had finished fixing the breaks-" the little robot grumbled as he poured more rubbing alcohol onto the cloth in his hand "-then maybe you wouldn't have lost control of the bike and nearly crashed into the side of a cliff."
Ratchet shrugged and gave Clank a reassuring smile. "Hey, I'm still here right? Besides, it wasn't all that bad. Sure I wasn't wearing any protective gear at the time it happened, but I did bail out of the sled in time just before the crash. Sliding across sand and sharp rocks at high speeds is a little better than turning into a fluffy pancake against a cliff wall."
Clank's glare deepened and Ratchet immediately lost his smile as furious green optics settled on him. "Do you think this is funny Ratchet?!" the robot exclaimed as he rubbed the cloth carefully on another cut. "I personally do not find this funny! You could have suffered far worse injuries while you were there! And you did not even tell me that you were going out!"
Clank suddenly stopped rubbing the cut and stood up on the couch cushion. He paced back and forth as Ratchet clutched the cloth in his other hand. "Never mind you dragging yourself two kilometers to get back to here, do you know the odds of me never hearing from you again?! They are quite high, and I do not like that. What would have happened if you had not survived the crash?! Then I would have been worried sick for a day before setting out to find you and then I would have stumbled across your dead-"
Just as Clank got close enough to Ratchet, the Lombax picked the tiny warbot off his feet and held him at eye-level. Clank's furious face melted and was instantly replaced with one of confusion and sorrow.
Ratchet mirrored Clank's facial expressions. "Somehow," Ratchet started, tilting his head a little, "I don't think you're mad about not being with me, I think you're mad that I didn't tell you I was going out and where I was going."
Clank's frown deepened and the tiny warbot's lower lip trembled slightly. Ratchet gently lowered his friend back onto the couch, and the warbot plopped down onto the couch cushions.
"I didn't know where you were," Clank began, his gaze sliding to the tan cushion below him. "Normally, that is not a problem. I am fine with you going out; I am not your parent." The robot looked back up at Ratchet and the Lombax inwardly winced at the scared look on his friend's face. "I called out for you, because I needed to ask you where you put the extra washcloths, but you were not anywhere in the house. I was fine with that, I had assumed you had just gone out to get something, but when I checked the garage to see if any of the extra washcloths were in there and I found the rocket sled nowhere to be seen…"
The robot's voice cracked as he looked back down at the couch cushion. Ratchet rubbed his friend's back.
"I never told you my progress on the brakes, and I was scared out of my mind when I realized that I had no idea where you were and that you were potentially going at dangerously high speeds in a vehicle that did not possess functioning brakes or a communication device."
Ratchet wrapped his arm around Clank in a sort of half-hug and held him close. "I'm sorry pal," Ratchet said quietly. "I probably should have checked with you on the state of the sled before taking it on an impromptu test-drive."
Clank mimicked a sigh before looking back up at Ratchet. "I just do not understand why you have been looking for danger nowadays. Yesterday, you almost blew yourself up modding your other pet project, and the day before that you wanted to build your own nuclear reactor out of spare scraps of metal near the garage and a few sticks of pure uranium. Every other day, it seems as though you are looking for fatal distractions." Clank stood up and adjusted the bandage around Ratchet's shoulder before turning his gaze back onto Ratchet's. "Does this constant search for an adrenaline rush have anything to do with the incident with the Prog Twins and the Nethers from a few months ago? That is the only thing I can think of that is possibly causing you to make more rash and reckless decisions these days."
Ratchet felt his stomach sink as he took a deep breath. He looked away as he rubbed the back of his head with his good arm, uncomfortable at the thought of recent events. "Clank, can we not talk about that?"
Clank raised a finger to protest, but Ratchet interrupted him. "I really can't talk about that right now pal, I think that discussion is meant for another time."
Clank mimicked another sigh before lowering his hand. "Alright," he said as he put the cloth and rubbing alcohol back into the first-aid kit, "I shall drop the matter at this time."
The little robot closed the kit and hopped off the couch. Ratchet laid down and stretched his legs over the space where Clank sat. His right knee ached with pain, but the Lombax ignored it. Having a sore knee because it hit a medium-sized rock during his bail from the sled was still better than being dead from a crash.
Ratchet lifted his head slightly and watched as Clank trotted over to the bathroom down the hall and place the first aid kit back into one of the cabinets. "So what's the extent of my injuries, Clank? How long do I have to stay down?"
Clank hurried into the nearby kitchen and pulled out a tea kettle from one of the bottom cabinets. As he pushed a stool over to the sink to fill up the kettle, he called back to Ratchet. "For starters, you have suffered numerous cuts and bruises from the fall, both ranging from minor to severe."
Ratchet raised his hand and studied the bandage on the back of it. The rock had managed to cut through his glove and into his skin. That gash was going to scar for sure. "What about my knee and shoulder?"
Clank adjusted the small water filter near the tap, turned on the faucet, and began to fill the kettle with water. "Your right knee is badly bruised, possibly to the bone, but you should still be able to walk on it. You will have a bad limp, and I would advise you to stay off of it as long as possible so it can heal faster."
Clank flipped the faucet off and lifted the kettle out of the sink. He hoisted himself onto the counter and lifted the somewhat heavy kettle over to the stove. "As for your right shoulder, you will need to avoid any strenuous activity for at least a week," the little warbot stated as he set the kettle on one of the stovetops. "That means no throwing anything, no fixing ships that require you to use your right arm, no stretching your arm out to reach objects at a higher elevation than your head, etcetera etcetera." He moved off the stovetop, leaned over the countertop, and set the dial to high. "You landed on that bone quite heavily… I must admit I am surprised that the bone did not break."
Ratchet yawned as he listened to Clank's words. Now that the adrenaline from the crash was wearing off, he was ready for a long nap.
Clank leaned away from the stove as the fire licked the bottom of the kettle. The little robot walked over to his left and opened the cabinet door above his head to grab a mug. "Now it is my turn to ask you some questions. What possessed you to take the rocket sled out for a test run, and where did you go with it?" He grabbed the "#1 Best Friend" mug he had gotten for Ratchet as a gift and set it down next to him.
Ratchet yawned and rubbed at his eyes with his good arm. "I don't really know pal," he said, flicking his tail and barely containing another yawn. "It seemed like a fun idea at the time, and since you were busy cleaning and oiling yourself, it wouldn't have made any sense if I had asked you to ride with me through a sandy desert just as you finished cleaning yourself."
Ratchet lifted himself up and fluffed the throw pillow underneath his head. "As for where I went," he continued as he heard his friend rustle through one of the drawers looking for what was most likely their box of herbal tea, "I drove the sled over to the Scar. You know, that canyon that's really great for high-speed hoverboarding?"
Clank opened a tea box and took out a small herbal tea bag. "I believe I remember the Scar." Clank looked back into the living room, inching his head up to see if Ratchet was still generally okay. Sometimes Ratchet tried to hide his pain from Clank, and that led to some very dangerous situations in the past. "Did you happen to see any other creatures there while you were riding the rocket sled?"
"Nah, I didn't see a hair or scale of anyone else. Guess the coming storm tonight had them scared off."
Smart creatures they were too, since Veldin's storms were legendary. The desert planet didn't get much rain, but when the planet did get rain… It didn't really rain, it stormed.
Raindrops battered every surface of the planet, and soaked everything to its core. The wind was so violent that it seemed to claw at anyone's house, desperate to tear down any structure and sweep up any occupants in a whirlwind that even rivaled some of Veldin's sandstorms. Floods swept through ravines and canyons, and if you weren't careful, you could be swept away by an undertow. However, as many Veldin inhabitants would tell you, the worst parts about the biannually storms were the thunder and lightning. The lightning could light up an entire room from one flash, and the thunder could shake the entire planet with one clap.
Storms weren't something to be taken lightly on Veldin.
The tea kettle whistled loudly, its shrill, screaming pitch echoing throughout the house. Clank closed the small box and quickly placed it back in its proper place before shutting the drawer. He slid over to the stovetop, leaned over the side and switched the dial off. As he lifted the kettle off the stovetop, he stretched his foot out and moved the mug closer to where he was.
Ratchet heard Clank pour the hot water into the mug and smiled. Orvus bless Clank and his thoughtfulness. Ratchet didn't like tea all that much, but right now the tea would relax his body and mind and send him into a blissful nap. He'd wake up later well-rested and ready to move again.
It was times like these that he was glad Clank had crashed into his life, in the most literal way possible.
"You making tea pal?"
"Yes, do you want any sugar in the herbal mix?"
Ratchet gave out an enormous jaw-popping yawn as he nodded. "Yeah, could you throw in three spoonfuls please?"
Clank rustled through one last drawer and grabbed a spoon. He lifted the lid delicately off the sugar pot and scooped two spoonfuls of sugar into the cup. He hesitated for a moment, but after a second thought, he dipped the spoon back in and scooped up just a little more sugar. Ratchet didn't need all that sugar, but after seeing his best friend come home in relatively one piece, Clank was feeling much more generous.
The little warbot gently dropped the tea bag into the mug and stirred slowly. He went back over to were the stool was and skillfully lowered himself down from the countertop.
Ratchet looked up and saw Clank come back into his field of vision. The Lombax forced himself to sit up, and as Clank set the hot mug on the coffee table in front of them, Ratchet patted the couch cushion next to him.
"So," he began, "what are we going to do during the storm tonight? You got any fun games planned?"
Clank stared out the window, studying the empty front lawn. "I do not have anything planned at the moment, but I suspect that I will be watching you and be making sure our home does not sustain any damages during the storm."
Ratchet shrugged. "You sure you're going to be okay without me awake? The thunder and lightning is just terrible, and I know you've always had trouble dealing with Veldin's storms."
Clank gave Ratchet a small smile. "I shall be fine. As long as I am in a place of shelter, the lightning cannot harm me. I am just a little worried about the possibility of stray debris hitting and damaging our house." The little warbot shook his head in exasperation. "There are always a couple creatures that forget about their lawn ornaments, and it is quite frustrating when a stray ornament hits our home and we have to pay-"
Suddenly Clank was hit with a sense of… unease. He slid his gaze back to Ratchet and studied the Lombax before giving a quick glance around their living room to make sure that he didn't miss anything. Something was off. Very off.
Ratchet tilted his head to the side in confusion. "What's the matter pal? You worried we can't pay for the damages? Don't worry, I got us covered. I got us the Veldin storm insurance back when you took us to the bank to ask for a loan to pay for the last storm's damages. We're totally fine."
Clank shook his head. "No, my concerns are not about the potential damage the storm can cause." The little robot pointed his finger at Ratchet. "Did you happen to take your Omniwrench with you? You would never leave our home without it, and yet you never came back with it."
Ratchet's heart took a nosedive and fear flashed onto his face. "Crap!" He bolted up from the couch before wincing and gritting his teeth. "I had my Omniwrench strapped to your seat on the sled, and I lost it during the crash." The Lombax pushed himself to take a step, his knee aching in pain. "Clank, if I don't get it before the storm happens, then it will be washed away to Orvus knows where!"
Ratchet was about to take another step, but Clank hopped off the couch and blocked his path. "What happened to your other spare Omniwrenches?"
Ratchet growled in frustration. "Qwark wanted them so he could hold an exhibit for his conventions. 'Ratchet's Wrenches Through the Ages.' If I didn't give them to him, he would have never left us alone!"
Clank held a finger to his chin. "That does explain why he broke into the garage one night and began to dig through all our extra stuff."
Ratchet squinted down at Clank. "Really? If that happened, then how come everything was all the way it was when I woke up?"
"I told Qwark that if he did not cease his digging around, he would have a very angry Lombax trained in the art of heavy weaponry to deal with the next morning." Ratchet scoffed as Clank shrugged. "Apparently he was willing to help me clean up after that."
Ratchet groaned. "Point is, that's my last wrench and if I don't get it back, it'll get lost in the storm, possibly forever!" He gently picked Clank up and set him back on the couch. "Here, I'll be back before the storm hits, it'll only take an hour or-"
Clank hopped up and blocked Ratchet's path again. "Ratchet, you are in no condition to leave this house. You may have slight trouble walking on your knee now, but if you put any more strain on it, you may damage it further!"
Ratchet tried to move around Clank but winced as a twinge of pain shot up his leg. "Then what do you suppose I should do, just let my only wrench get swept away in a storm!" Ratchet exclaimed, a look of genuine worry on his face.
Clank gently pushed on Ratchet's calf, and the Lombax sat back down on the couch. "How about this proposition: I shall go out and fetch your wrench for you while you rest." The little warbot turned and grabbed the tea mug before slipping it into Ratchet's hand. "I believe that will satisfy both of our wants."
Ratchet nearly bolted back up again in protest. "No way! What if you get caught in that storm?! Come on Clank, I'll only be an hour-"
Clank stretched out his arms and forced the Lombax to stay still. "Ratchet, if you do not rest, you risk further injury." As the Lombax calmed down, Clank patted Ratchet's good knee softly. "I shall only be gone for that one hour, and I believe the weather reports state that the storm should start in the next two. I shall be fine." The grey robot gave a grin. "I should be back here with your Omniwrench before you wake up from your nap."
Ratchet took a slow, deep breath. Clank was right. If he went now, he could make it back before the storm started. Ratchet would get his wrench back and Clank would be happy that the Lombax rested and took the time to let his injuries heal. Now wasn't a good time to be stubborn.
"Alright pal," Ratchet said, relaxing against the couch cushions, "You go get my Omniwrench, I'll stay here and rest up. After this is all straightened out, we'll play a wicked round of checkers while the storm's going."
Clank's grin widened. "Excellent." He lifted Ratchet's legs onto the couch, and almost immediately Ratchet felt his body melt against the couch.
Ratchet laid his head against the throw pillow and gently rested the mug on his chest. He sighed as his body began to completely relax itself. His eyelids drooped and another yawn forced its way out of his mouth.
Clank quickly ran into another room and brought over a blanket for his friend. He laid it over Ratchet before turning and heading for the door. "I shall be back with your Omniwrench before you know it!" Clank exclaimed, flashing Ratchet a reassuring smile.
The Lombax gave his friend a weak wave. "Alright pal, good luck out there, and try not to get into trouble."
Clank gave his signature giggle. "I believe that is what I would normally be saying to you." He opened the door and stepped outside, shaking his head and chuckling to himself. "Get into trouble, indeed!"
Ratchet stared at his tea as he heard the door close. Clank did make it for him, and it would be a waste if he let it sit and get cold while he napped.
He shrugged and sipped at the warm tea. Almost immediately, warmth spread throughout his body and his mind began to slow down. He took a few more sips before his eyelids began to protest about being open.
Ratchet slowly laid the tea mug back down on the coffee table and curled up under the blanket. It was like the tea had zapped all the energy out of his body.
A soft yawn escaped his mouth as he closed his eyes. "Clank'll… be… fine…" he murmured, already starting to lose consciousness. After a few minutes, Ratchet fell into a deep sleep, one that Qwark and Nefarious' arguing wouldn't have been able to wake him out of.
The holoscreen, to the left of the window, suddenly flashed on and a robotic voice at medium volume began to speak as bold text scrolled across the screen. "WARNING TO ALL VELDIN CREATURES: REMAIN IN YOUR HOMES OR SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER, THE STORM IS MOVING AT A MUCH FASTER PACE THAN WE HAD ANTICIPATED…"
The Scar was a deep, spacious canyon that attracted a host of thrill seekers and hoverboarders with a slightly suicidal mindset, and was famous for its sharp turns and rough, irregular form. It had a long slope in and out of the canyon, and any creature could ride or walk down into the geological formation with little effort. It was just as sandy-colored as the rest of Veldin, but somehow the Scar radiated danger to any occupant brave enough to chance the tight turns and sharp boulders.
Clank studied the canyon as he walked. He never did understand why creatures would risk their lives trying to get a quick adrenaline rush. The jagged canyon, cut deep into Veldin's surface, was far too dangerous for hoverboarding and racing.
Clank's gaze flicked upward to the dark grey clouds in the sky. He quickened his pace, and the little robot did everything in his power to keep himself from panicking. He continued to go over the times in his head, repeating the hour and a half time limit he had in his head. He was doing this for Ratchet, and that was all that mattered.
As Clank turned another corner, he spotted a few destroyed hoverboards diagonal to the corner. The robot frowned at the sight, and tried to push the image of the boards to the back of his mind. Had Ratchet been one of them…
Clank shuddered at the thought and forced it to the back of his mind.
As he rounded more corners, Clank found more destroyed hoverboards and even a trashed hoverbike resting against the far end of the canyon wall. He crossed his arms instinctively over his chest and forced himself to look past them.
Had he seen the hoverboards when he was first starting to know Ratchet, he would have shaken his head in slight exasperation and done nothing more. But after seeing his friend die right in front of him, and nearly die again during their more recent adventures, he had gained a form of anxiety that he had yet to tell Ratchet about.
After all, he didn't think the universe had another six minutes to spare.
After a few more turns, Clank found the rocket sled he and Ratchet had been working on. He openly winced at what he found.
The sled was nothing more than a smoldering heap of metal. The front end of the sled had been completely blown off, and the middle of the sled resembled an accordion rather than the body of a hoverbike. Small flames licked the very front of the sled, and scraps of stray metal littered the area around the wrecked vehicle.
Clank cautiously approached the wreck and felt his heart sink at the sight. Oh, if Ratchet hadn't jumped out of the sled in time-
No. Ratchet was fine, and the Lombax always pulled through even the deadliest of situations. There was no need to keep worrying about it. Clank shook his head as he tried to get rid of his anxious thoughts.
He poked at a piece of charred metal with his foot and before turning to study the rest of the bike. Hm, if his calculations were correct, then whatever material rested in the engine caused the front part of the vehicle had caused the explosion as soon as the material hit the rocky cliff-side. Now, explosions usually had a short shockwave to them, and if the wrench was thrown forward by the initial crash…
Clank pointed his finger to the back of the sled, where the bottom cushion of the backseat was, and traced his finger to the front of the sled. Alright, now if the explosion blew it back and it went in the parabola it was supposed to go in…
The little robot moved his finger in an arch over his head, and turned around to face the direction behind him. He moved his finger down and smiled as he pointed at a blue-accented Omniwrench laying at the base of a nearby, jagged boulder. "Got you."
Clank took a step forward before he heard a low rumble, one that almost resembled a Blaargian Snagglebeast's snore. He instantly hopped into a fighting stance and glanced wildly around the area.
The sand stayed perfectly still, and nothing moved. After a minute of scanning the area, Clank relaxed his stance and warily stepped over to Ratchet's Omniwrench a few yards away.
The Omniwrench was covered in a fine layer of soot and sand, but Clank was easily able to get it off with a quick shake of his hand. He held it up to the sky and quickly gave it a scan to see if the wrench was damaged in any way.
From what he could see, the wrench was slightly bent near the top of the neck. Clank tilted his head in confusion. "Hm…"
Judging from the way the wrench looked, it was the Omniwrench with the extendable head that made it easier for Ratchet to access platforms out of his reach. Clank leaned back and whipped the wrench forward, thumbing the small button that extended the plasma coils.
The wrench head flew off the main part of the wrench, with the slimmest string of plasma connecting it back to Omniwrench. The head landed a few feet away, and Clank thumbed the tiny button again to retract the head back to the main body of the wrench. The top part of the wrench dragged through the coarse sand as the coils retracted back into the wrench at a painfully slow pace. As soon as the wrench was whole again, Clank held it back up against the jagged boulder and examined the area where the wrench would have impacted.
Based on how far out the edge of the rock extended and the velocity of the wrench, the neck of the tool would have slammed into the sharp edge, damaging the extension mechanism of the wrench. It also seemed to cause some damage to the flow of plasma coil, and Ratchet would most likely need to insert another coil to fix the damaged one as soon as he got better. Clank tapped the head of the wrench against the boulder, and smiled as the wrench held together. It wouldn't be able to extend out, but it could still function as a weapon if need be.
Another low grumble filled the area. Clank whirled around, wrench raised, but didn't find any beast or hostile creature anywhere near him. The little robot tilted his head in confusion. What in Polaris was making that rumbling sound? The storm wasn't supposed to start for another hour and a half, so there had to be something else making that sound.
Just then, Clank felt the ground start to shake beneath him. He glanced over at the area where he came from and found an enormous horde of Horny Toads bolting towards him.
Clank quickly raised the wrench and assumed a fighting stance. He wasn't going down without a fight, no sir. Even if Ratchet wasn't with him, he could still hold himself pretty well in a fight. Years of saving the galaxy could do that to you. Clank glared at the oncoming horde and gripped the wrench tightly, ready for action.
The Horny Toads made an oval around Clank as they flew past him, not one Toad going anywhere within arm's reach of the robot. The creatures pounded onward, barely stopping to register the little robot with the big wrench held tightly in his grasp.
Clank watched as they all pushed past him, and turned to stare at them as they threw themselves around the right corner of the cliff-side. Were they being chased by something?
Clank turned around, still maintaining his fighting stance, only to find nothing behind him except an empty desert and the footprints of the Horny Toads. He glanced around one more time to check if there was absolutely nothing there before lowering the wrench and glaring at his surroundings. What was making that rumbling noise?
He felt something small hit the back of his head, and another low grumble, this one echoing throughout the canyon, sounded out. Clank whirled around, wrench raised once again, only to catch something out of the corner of his eye.
A wet spot of sand.
A deep sense of dread filled his circuitry as Clank slowly looked up at the dark grey sky above him.
The clouds swirled around each other violently, churning together in an almost tar-like formation. Certain clouds were pitch black with the weight of the rain they were carrying, and the sky looked as if it was barely holding the rainclouds in the sky. A grumble of thunder sounded out, and Clank felt fear fill every wire in his body.
Robots were not invincible creations. Every robot had their own weakness, be it a programming glitch, water, or the body structure they were built with. No matter what, if you built a robot to resist one thing, something else would be its weakness, and for Clank, his weakness was lightning.
The metal he was made out of was perfect against the harsh effects of water erosion but the metal also possessed elements that were perfect conductors and attractors for electricity. His circuits also followed the same format. Since his main form of energy was through electricity, the circuit boards were designed to hold a certain level of electricity. If an enormous spike of electricity shot through his circuits, it would immediately fry every one of them, and he would be dead before he hit the ground. Clank could handle a few lightning strikes from normal storms, but with Veldin's violent storms, one bolt could kill him instantly. And if the bolt only knocked him out, another lightning strike would certainly finish him off before he regained consciousness.
An enormous clap of thunder, one so loud it made Clank jump in pure fright, echoed over every inch of the canyon. More raindrops began to fall from the sky and pound against the coarse sand. Clank felt his metal start to "tingle," and then came the worst part of Veldin's storms.
A forked tongue of lightning cut through the sky and rocketed toward the trashed sled. The metal exploded outward, and Clank barely dove behind the boulder before a piece of plating the size of his torso hit the rock. As soon as he heard the crash of the stray pieces hitting the cliff-side above him, Clank darted back around the boulder and sprinted back to the entrance of the Scar.
Another clap of thunder sounded and shook the canyon. The rain fell in thick sheets and Clank had to constantly blink his eyes in order to see where he was going. The ground beneath his feet began to turn to sludge as he sprinted around the tight turns the Scar was famous for.
Clank's heart whirled with fear, and the robot couldn't recall any other moment where he had been this scared. He cried out in panic when another bolt of lightning zapped a pile of scraps a few feet away from him. He ducked his head as a stray scrap nearly decapitated him.
The rain pelted him mercilessly, and another clap of thunder, more resembling a canon shot, echoed out over the area. The wind began to pick up, and Clank felt himself pushing against the whirlwind as he tried to run.
He had to get back home. Clank added a small burst of speed to his sprint and held the wrench at an angle over his eyes so he could see where the beginning of the slope leading out of the Scar was. Just as he raised the wrench, he felt his feet start to sink a little as the ground threatened to swallow him up. Clank forced his feet to move forward, and his joints ached in protest.
Another bolt of lightning tore through the sky and struck the area a few feet behind Clank. He pushed forward and nearly cried out in fear as he saw another bolt of lightning strike the area a little way in front of him. The little robot got the message as the partnering thunder cracked out over his head: if he stopped running, he'd find out just how powerful Veldin's lightning strikes were.
Ratchet whooped with joy as he front-flipped off a jump on his old hoverboard. Man, it felt great! Just being back on a hoverboard, speeding over the mostly flat land with the warm sun at his back, the wind rustling his fur and chilling his skin, the sensation of just being alive!
Nothing could beat those feelings.
Clank gave a tiny yelp from where he was on the Lombax's back. "Ratchet, we are not even racing anyone! Why are we going at such a dangerously fast and unsafe speed?!"
Ratchet gave a cocky grin as he spied another jump. "Come on pal, have some fun, get wild once in a while, take a chance! We only get one life to live, and I'd like to spend mine actually living it!"
"Ratchet, I do not believe your definition of 'living' will keep us alive!"
Ratchet bent his arm back to where he could put a finger to Clank's retracted hand. "Come on pal, just trust me on this. Everything will be fine."
The Lombax drew closer to the jump. He turned his head slightly. "You ready pal?!"
The robot didn't reply, so Ratchet took it as a "yes."
Ratchet flew up the ramp and backflipped on the hoverboard. The world spun beneath him in a kaleidoscope of sandy yellow and sky blue. He landed smoothly on the slope leading into the Scar, and he gave a shout of triumph.
Ratchet flew around the sharp turns in the Scar, almost effortlessly doing what some pro hoverboarders couldn't do. He grinned as he leaned to his left, neatly curving around a corner that had usually given him trouble in the past.
"Haha! Come on Clank! You've got to say this is pretty awesome!"
"RATCHET!"
The yellow Lombax's blood turned to ice in his veins. He looked to his right and found Alistair hoverbooting right beside him. The older Lombax looked furious, an angry scowl painted on his face.
"HOW COULD YOU?! WE WERE RIGHT THERE, INCHES AWAY FROM BRINGING BACK YOUR FAMILY! HOW COULD YOU JUST LEAVE THEM TO DIE?!"
Ratchet immediately put on a burst of speed and sped ahead of the general. He rounded another few corners before losing the older Lombax.
"Clank, what in Polaris was that?! Alistair is supposed to be dead! Why is he chasing us?!"
The little warbot didn't answer.
Ratchet heard garbled voices to his left, and turned his head to see Cronk and Zephyr riding the exact same rocket sled he had taken out for a test drive, Cronk in the driver's seat. "Cronk? Zephyr?"
The two warbots looked over at the startled Lombax and waved. "Hey there rookie! That was a nice-looking jump you did back there!" Zephyr exclaimed, the corners of his mouth slightly curved in a smile.
Cronk scoffed. "Back in my day, we didn't do all those crazy hoverboard jumps! We were fine, respectable young warbots with a chip on our shoulder and the universe at our feet!"
"HA!" Zephyr gave Cronk a playful slap on the back. "What are you talking about?! I remember you almost got into arrested when you tried to egg your new girlfriend's ex-boyfriend's house!"
The two warbot suddenly focused their gazes back onto Ratchet. "Uh rook, you might want to watch out for-"
Ratchet slammed into the ground as the tip of his hoverboard hit a small boulder. He pin-wheeled over the harsh Veldin sand, and felt cuts open up on his arms and legs as the limbs hit rocks slightly hidden under the sand. He rolled on for a minute before he came to a stop.
"Clank…" Ratchet croaked out as he tried to reorient himself, "…are you okay pal?"
"No."
Ratchet looked up to find Clank standing right in front of him, not a scratch on his exterior.
The Lombax looked past Clank to find Alistair, Cronk, and Zephyr behind the robot. "Guys, what's going on?"
Alistair shook his head in disappointment. "You just don't get it, don't you?"
Cronk scoffed. "It's right in front of you rookie. Why can't you see it?"
Zephyr shrugged. "Normally, I'd argue with Cronk over this, but he's right rook. You've got something eating at you, and if you don't see it before it's too late, then it soon will be."
The shadows around the cliff-side swirled together and interlocked with each other to build a large figure that towered over the yellow Lombax.
Alistair turned and solemnly headed toward the figure. Cronk and Zephyr soon followed, their joints creaking as they trotted toward the shadowy figure.
Ratchet felt dread fill every part of his being as he saw Clank turn away. "Clank? Where are you going?"
The robot began walking, almost as if he didn't hear the Lombax. Ratchet struggled to get up. "Clank! Stop! What's going on? Why are you heading toward that thing?!"
The figure reached out an arm and slowly beckoned Clank to come closer. Clank almost absentmindedly followed, his tiny footprints disappearing behind him.
Ratchet fought to get to his feet, but every time he tried to lift himself more than a few inches, something pulled him back down. The Lombax clawed at the air as Clank stepped closer to the figure. "CLANK! DON'T GET NEAR THAT! IT COULD HURT YOU!"
The figure leaned over Clank and closed his arms around the tiny robot. Ratchet heard Clank scream in agony as the robot disappeared from view.
"CLANK!"
An enormous clap of thunder woke the Lombax out of his nightmare, and Ratchet sucked in air as he tried to calm his nerves. Sweat coated his fur, and his hands gripped the sides of the couch in a death-like vice.
"Whew… oh man. Don't want to go through that again." Ratchet gently reached up and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "Well, I'm up for the rest of the night, guess I might as well make the best of it."
He gently got up from the couch, grabbed the cold tea mug and slowly shuffled into the kitchen. He dumped out the remaining tea and left the cup in the sink. As he turned around to head back into the living room, his eye caught the time on the clock they had near the stove.
"Hm, it's been a little over an hour since Clank left. He should be back by now."
The Lombax yawned and stretched out his good arm. "Hey Clank!" he called out, scratching his right side, "You up for that game of checkers?"
Another flash of lightning lit up the living room, but there was no answer.
Clank must have been scared by the thunder and lightning. Ratchet shrugged and headed down the hallway to their room. "Hey pal! Everything's alright! It's just a bit of thunder and lightning! If you're scared and you want to snuggle with me, that's fine."
Ratchet looked around their room from the doorway but didn't find the robot anywhere. "Clank?"
The Lombax leaned over the bed and peered underneath it. Clank wasn't under it… so maybe he was hiding somewhere else?
"Hey, come on Clank, this game of hide-and-seek is not how I thought our night would go!"
Ratchet checked another room, the laundry room, and glanced around the small space. Clank wasn't in there. He went to another room and felt fear slid down his spine as he peered around the empty room.
"Clank, seriously, where are you?!"
The Lombax ran from room to room, ignoring the dull ache in his knee. Every room he looked in, every possible space where Clank could hide was devoid of the little robot. As Ratchet rushed back into the living room, thunder rattled the windows and shook the house.
The Lombax slowly turned toward the window, and a horrible sense of realization set in.
"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, NO!"
Ratchet whirled around and bolted into their bedroom. He grabbed a pair of shoddy goggles off the top of one of the two dressers and quickly snapped the equipment onto his head. He made to get his hoverboots, but after a second thought, he held off on them. Sure, they would be faster than running, but the hoverboots were terrible on wet or sludgy ground. He wouldn't get anywhere with mud clogging up the boots' thrusters.
He bolted back into the living room and sprinted toward the front door. He ripped the door opened, and almost instantly the rain pelted him mercilessly and soaked him to his core.
Ratchet held a hand in front of his forehead, and pushed forward into the storm. He closed the door behind him and stumbled forward.
The wind tore at his fur and threatened to pull him down into the sludge. The rain pounded against his body, causing him to hunch a little to provide some relief. The clouds churned in the sky, and the storm growled and moaned like a beast out of a nightmare.
"CLANK! HANG ON BUDDY! I'LL FIND YOU!"
Ratchet sprinted into the maelstrom. His knee began to ache, and sharp pain erupted around his shoulder. The Lombax wiped at the goggles on his eyes and tried to find the little grey robot amid the rain. "CLANK!"
A flash of lightning struck something a few yards away from him, and a clap of thunder drowned out his scream. The Lombax squinted through the rain and continued to sprint at a break-neck pace.
After a minute of sprinting and not seeing the robot anywhere, Ratchet felt his hope start to crumble. "CLANK! WHERE ARE YOU?!"
The Lombax only got a spark of lightning a kilometer away and a gunshot-like clap of thunder as a reply. He called out again, straining every muscle in his throat. "CLANK?! COME ON BUDDY! WHERE ARE YOU?!"
Another flash of lightning struck a kilometer away, only it was slightly to the left now. A sick idea hit Ratchet, one that made his heart plunge to his feet.
Clank's metal attracted lightning, so if he followed the lightning, he could probably find Clank. But if the lightning ever stopped moving…
Ratchet bolted towards the area where he saw the last bolt strike, and sent a prayer to every godly entity in the universe, hoping that he could make it in time.
Clank knew he had been running for a little over thirty minutes, but other than that, the robot didn't know anything else. The intensity of the rain blocked out the signal for his GPS system, and the rain was so thick it was almost impossible to tell where he was. He could be anywhere on Veldin at this point.
The wind pushed against him, but Clank didn't stop running. The Omniwrench in his hand felt like a lead weight, and the joints in his knees creaked from the constant sprinting. His energy cells were running dangerously low, and if the little robot didn't stop and rest soon, he'd burn himself out.
Then again, if he did stop, he'd have all the time in the universe to rest…
Another bolt of lightning ripped through the sky and struck the area just to the right of him. Clank threw himself to his left and rolled through the sludge to avoid it, immediately leaping to his feet as soon as he completed the roll.
A little ways out, Ratchet sucked in air as he rocketed toward the lightning strike. "CLANK?! CLANK?! WHERE ARE YOU?!"
The Lombax vaulted over a small gap in the ground and hit the other side running. He locked his eyes on the area where the lightning struck and drew what extra energy he could to speed up his sprint. "I'm almost there pal, I won't lose you again."
A thunderclap nearly deafened Clank from where the robot was, and his body began to slow as his energy cells began to draw on empty reserves. Clank stumbled as he struggled to keep running as fast as he could. He cried out as another lightning bolt hit the area right behind him, and he felt tears well up behind his optics as a horrid realization set in.
Unless he got to shelter in the next few minutes, he would die.
Clank crossed the Omniwrench over his chest and hugged it close to his body. He could die, and he would never see Ratchet again. Would his body be washed away in the storm, or would Ratchet find him in time? What would happen to the Lombax? How would Ratchet cope over his death?
Clank felt a tightness in his chest, and stuttered as his memory banks brought up all the good times he had had with Ratchet. Saving the galaxy, fixing ships, playing board games, laughing over the weird plot twists the writers for Secret Agent Clank came up with, all of them flooded Clank's mind as his legs began to falter in their run. If only he could have said goodbye to Ratchet, then he wouldn't have-
"CLANK!"
The robot's body twisted while running, and Clank found a yellow figure sprinting toward him. The little robot slowed down and waved the Omniwrench in a way that could get Ratchet's attention. "Ratchet! I am over here!" Clank shouted, his voice strained against the noise of the storm.
Ratchet caught his name coming a little to his left. He turned and saw two green lights twenty meters away from him and a grey-and-blue object waving just above the two green lights. His green eyes locked onto green optics and Ratchet felt relief fill his entire body.
Clank grinned as he saw Ratchet sprinting toward him, and the robot squeezed the Omniwrench as he waved it madly over his head. His legs gave out beneath him, and the robot fell to his knees in relief. Ratchet was here now, and everything would be alright.
In their single moment of relief, they never saw it coming.
A bolt of lightning crested through the sky and stuck the stationary robot. Clank felt pure agony shoot through every circuit in his body, and the robot gave a shout of pain before falling face-first into the muddy ground, stock-still.
"NOOOOOO!"
Ratchet tore up the ground beneath his feet and threw himself at Clank's body as the thunder blasted out over the area. He fell to his knees as he got close to the fallen robot, and delicately lifted his friend off the ground.
Clank's eyes were open, but the optics were as black as the clouds around them. The Omniwrench was still clutched tightly in Clank's hand and his antenna was a dark, blood red.
"Clank! Please wake up!" Ratchet gently shook his friend to try to get the robot to reboot again. "Come on, please be alright!"
Ratchet didn't have any of his normal tools on him, and even if he did open up Clank to see if the circuits were too badly damaged, he'd flood all of Clank's circuit boards with rainwater. He couldn't do anything without causing more damage to Clank, even if the robot was still alive.
"CLANK! PLEASE DON'T BE DEAD! PLEASE! I CAN'T LOSE YOU TOO!"
A low grumble filled the sky, and Ratchet grabbed Clank before another lightning strike could zap the robot a second time. The heat of the strike seared the Lombax's exposed fur as he rolled himself and Clank over.
Ratchet pushed Clank away from his body and held him at arm's length. "PLEASE! THE UNIVERSE HAS TAKEN EVERYONE ELSE THAT I'VE CARED ABOUT AWAY FROM ME, DON'T LET THEM TAKE YOU AWAY TOO!
Thunder roared out, and the clouds churned viciously in the sky. The rain and the wind tore at Ratchet, and the Lombax fought to keep him and Clank from being swept away in the storm.
All their times together, all those times he and Clank had gone hoverboarding, the times where he and Clank would be the life of the party to any event they went to, the times when they saved the galaxy together, the times when they played simple board games and laughed over stupid stuff…
He laid Clank face-up and stared at his friend's empty optics.
Ratchet's heart caught in his throat and his chest tightened as Clank's eyes stayed dark. The Lombax didn't know if it was tears or just regular rainwater trailing down his cheeks, but he choked up as he slowly laid his head against Clank's. "Buddy, I couldn't take two years… how can you expect me to take forever…"
Ratchet heard a tiny click amid all the noise, and slowly looked up to see two light green optics peering back at him. "Raaa… chet?"
Ratchet couldn't believe his ears or his eyes. A face-splitting grin morphed onto his face as the Lombax felt joy fill every molecule in his body. "Clank?!"
A low growl came from the sky, as if it was a beast that realized it hadn't finished off its prey. The clouds churned and the wind slowed before picking up again. Ratchet took one look at the sky and gave it a silent message with a single glare.
Bring it the hell on.
Lightning tore through the sky and headed straight for Clank. The tiny warbot, somewhat conscious at this point, felt two arms scoop him up. He waited for Ratchet to hook him onto the Lombax's back, but that never came. Ratchet squished Clank and his Omniwrench against his stomach and took off running with a slight hunch, putting a furry shield between Clank and the ferocious elements above them.
Ratchet sprinted through the rain, his heart pounding in his chest and his body super-charged with adrenaline. He ducked as a stray piece of metal flew over his head, and dodged to his right as a weak-rooted desert bush was ripped out of the ground and thrown straight at him.
He saw the outline of the small gap he had crossed earlier and threw himself over it just as another bolt of lightning zapped at the ground behind him. He landed on his injured shoulder, but grit his teeth through the pain as he rolled onto the other side of the gap. He shot back up and rocketed onward as the thunder cracked out.
Clank blinked rapidly as his systems began to function again. "Ratchet?!"
The Lombax squeezed Clank a little tighter as his ears picked up Clank's voice over the noises of the storm. "Don't worry pal! We're getting out of this one together! Just focus on giving me some light from your optics, and I'll get us home!"
Clank looked forward and activated an emergency system that allowed his eyes to act as a temporary flashlight. Ratchet stared ahead and managed to pick out a large rock that resembled a foot. If he was right about where they were…
He pivoted on his feet and turned 180 degrees to his left. Clank gave a shout of surprise as another bolt struck the area where they would have been had Ratchet not changed course. Thunder cracked over their heads, and the rain strengthened its assault on the duo.
Ratchet pushed on for as long as he could, dodging every lightning bolt, bush, and pieces of whatever the storm had picked up. He ignored every ache of pain and focused solely on getting Clank back home. The storm threw everything it had at him, but the Lombax pushed through with Clank still under his chest.
A lightning bolt zapped at the ground to Ratchet's left. "COME ON YOU SON OF A-" a clap of thunder drowned out the next word "-THAT ALL YOU GOT?! IF YOU WANT THIS ROBOT, THEN YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GET THROUGH ME FIRST!"
Clank hugged the Lombax's arm as the storm raged above them, ready to prove Ratchet wrong.
Ratchet lifted Clank up a little higher and searched as hard as he could. Come on, it was around here somewhere. It was somewhere-
A stray lightning bolt flashed in front of them, and Ratchet spied an outline of a house.
Bingo.
The ground beneath him was starting to reject the rainwater, and along with the mud, the Lombax was forced to race through large puddles of water that weighed him down. Ratchet gritted his teeth as his body screamed in protest from the half hour of sprinting and dodging. He couldn't care less about what happened to him right now, the only thought in his mind was getting his friend to safety.
He tore up the porch of the house and threw himself towards the door just as the sky gave a low rumble. Come on, almost-
In one swift motion, Ratchet grabbed the door handle, twisted it, and pushed the door open. A bolt of lightning struck the outside lawn as the Lombax dove into the house and slammed the door shut behind him. As he locked the door, a clap of thunder sounded, as if the storm was furious that its prey had gotten away.
Everything was quiet for a moment before Ratchet fell to his knees and gently dropped Clank to the ground. The Lombax slowly looked to his friend as Clank struggled to stand up. "Clank? You okay pal?"
The little robot got on his feet and wobbled a bit as he reoriented himself. "I am quite shaken, and some parts of my circuits need to be fixed, but for the most part, I am okay."
Clank slowly looked back at Ratchet and frowned at the sight of the Lombax's swollen knees. "Oh dear, I do believe that we will need to take you to a hospital as soon as this horrible storm is over."
"Eh, I'm alright," Ratchet said as his knees and shoulder protested. Still probably needed a trip to the doctor though. "How'd you survive that lightning strike though? I thought Veldin had the worst lightning strikes in the galaxy."
Clank shrugged his shoulders. "I do not know how I was able to survive the strike. I was just holding onto your Omniwrench, and-"
A thought occurred to Clank as he looked to the fallen wrench a few feet away. He picked it up and thumbed the small button that extended the plasma coil.
The wrench head shot off the wrench and rocketed into the wall opposite to Clank. Clank reeled back in shock as the wrench shook in his hands. It gave another large burst of energy before dying out completely.
"I believe," Clank began, showing Ratchet the other half of the wrench, "that the depleted plasma coil absorbed much of the lightning strike, enough so that it wasn't fatal for me to be struck."
Ratchet squinted at wrench before looking back at Clank. "Huh, I would have thought that your Zoni half would have protected you."
"Maybe it did," Clank murmured. "The energy might have helped transfer the plasma into the wrench, that way it could save my programming." He mimicked a sigh before setting the other half of the wrench down. "I really do wish I could have gotten home before you injured yourself even more."
Ratchet tried to shrug but winced as a sharp pain shot down his arm. Clank moved to help Ratchet up, but the Lombax nudged Clank away. "Clank, you could have me at death's door," Ratchet said as he lifted up his torso with his good arm, "and I would still do whatever I could to keep you safe from danger."
Clank went over and laid down in front of Ratchet, his chest to the floor. "Ratchet, I- I can't thank you enough for what you did back there. Without your help, I probably would have died. I am a little upset that you further injured yourself, and scared senseless at the fact that you sprinted through a maelstrom just to get to me, but-" the little warbot gave Ratchet a small smile "- I cannot tell you how happy and relieved I am that you did that all for me."
Ratchet mirrored Clank's smile as his good hand slid his goggles off his face. "Clank, you're the friend I never knew I needed. You've been with me through thick and thin, and I don't know what I would do if you weren't in my life anymore. You've done more for me than you'll ever know." He reached out his good arm and pulled the robot in for a half-hug. "Hell, I think I'd turn back time if anything terrible happened to you."
Clank knew what Ratchet really meant, but fear and unease filled the robot's chest anyway.
"Erm, yes," Clank said, avoiding Ratchet's gaze. He got up and limped over to the other side of Ratchet to help him up. "I do believe we should move on from what happened, and make the best of the rest of the storm."
Ratchet chuckled as Clank carefully lifted up his other side. Clank was always the bashful one.
As Ratchet got onto his feet, he smiled at Clank. "Hey… Clank?"
The robot looked up and gave the Lombax a soft smile. "Yes Ratchet?"
Ratchet nodded over to the couch. "You still owe me that game of checkers, and the night's still young…"
You know those moments where you say something and fate gets back at you for it, but in the end, everything turns out all right?
Ratchet pulled Clank closer to him as another thunderclap echoed throughout the house. Clank snuggled up closer to him, and shivered as he tried to forget the harsh pain of the lightning strike.
The two heroes had set up a wireless computer on the coffee table and were watching the complete second season of Secret Agent Clank. Outside, the storm raged on, but inside, the two were safe and sound.
Ratchet pulled the thick blanket closer around the two as the rain continued to pound against the window. Clank's eyelids blinked shut before opening again.
"If you need to go into sleep mode pal, go ahead. I can stay up and watch over everything while you're resting."
Clank leaned his head against Ratchet as his arms and legs automatically began to tuck in. "Are… you sure… everything… will be… alright?" Clank said, his systems already powering down.
Ratchet nodded sleepily to the little robot. "Yeah, everything will be alright," he said as he hugged Clank to his side. "I promise."
As the storm raged on and into the night, the duo fell asleep leaning against each other, and everything, at least for the rest of the night, was alright.
Well, I hoped you enjoyed it! I'll be out for most of today taking tests and moving out of my college dorm for the summer, so I won't be able to talk to anyone much today. If you know Amber, then do wish her a "Happy Birthday" when you have the time. If you don't, or just don't know her that well, then check out some of her stuff. I'd pick a favorite out of all her stories, but I have too many. I'll be back to giving reviews on the 8th or 9th, so heads up on that...
As for the person I am giving this to: have a great birthday today!
:)