Hey all! This story was made in collaboration with wrenchmxster from Tumblr. We've been doing some really cool RP over there, so follow us (my names over there are qwarkforprez3020 and askalombax) This is one of THREE stories we are writing together in RP. I've done a bit of cleanup to make them more prose and less RP text style, but minimally. Would peiple prefer the original format or the cleaned up version, or don't care?

Anyway, here's Flash Flooding. Chapters will come out as the two of us write enough content to warrant a full chapter entry.

'Oh, great. A flash flood warning.'

Ratchet cupped his head in his hands, rubbing his temple irritably. It was the worst possible time; Clank had gone running an errand for Sigmund, taking Aphelion with him. Not that Ratchet had any plans to flee; he'd always helped build the dams and levees whenever Kyzil had its short but brutal rainy season. But no ship meant he was cut off from his personal means for search and rescue, or just a way to move around supplies- at least until low altitude flying became impossible.

Veldin storms could be fierce.

Ratchet tossed out a quick distress beacon on his usual frequencies. Maybe if Talwyn wasn't busy, she might be able to teleport over some supplies at the very least? They didn't have much time. While storms were to be expected this time of year, it was usually only a few hours before- due to winds whipping up around the crags- that an accurate assessment of the damage could be made. Most of the time, the existing structures were built to handle the annual floods, so outside aid was rarely actually needed.

When Ratchet's comms did sound, though, it wasn't who he expected in the slightest.

Heck, even Nefarious would have been less of a shock than the voice he heard on the other end of the line.

"Meridian City will be teleporting supplies shortly," Captain- no, Ratchet irritably reminded himself- President Qwark boomed happily on the other end of the line, before he began babbling. "Also, my aides have instructed that the remaining copies of "Body: By Qwark" could be used as sandbag material. Why would they want to get rid of so many copies? My book is a bestseller!"

'A bestseller where? Qwark's Presidential Compound?' Ratchet groaned internally, before cutting off the gargantuan idiot.

"Great. We'll need all the sandbags we can get. I'm going to help the town put up the storm barrier. You go do…uh, whatever it is Presidents do when there's a flash flood. Unless you want to help us haul some sandbags; you've got the arms for it." Ratchet was glad he'd only turned on voice, rubbing his temples harder. The supplies would be useful, sure, but if Qwark even offered to step foot on Veldin, it would turn a potentially deadly flood into a media circus.

Qwark, meanwhile, in his cushy Presidential suite in Meridian City, billions of light-years away, considered briefly chickening out, but who was he kidding? It's water. Qwark had an O2 mask and could swim. It may not be his voting bloc, but Solana was his home, too. And- if Ratchet had overheard his thoughts at the moment, he might have had a conniption, but- it would also make for an excellent photo opportunity and press.

Qwark could be altruistic. Especially if it helped boost his ego and/or ratings in the process, not even considering the fact that Ratchet's suggestion was partially just to get Qwark off his back.

"You've got it, Cadet! I'll be readying the Phoenix II for FTL warp. I'll be there within the hour."

Ratchet sounded a little surprised on the other end of the line, but after a moment of what could only be a strange half- gurgle, he stated, "Meet me outside of Kyzil in the F-sector. The other villages are big enough to look out for themselves."

Ratchet himself looked out at the sky, darkening rapidly, grabbing some rain boots and an O2 mask in case things get ugly. He dashed off to the closest village to start slinging a few sandbags around.

By the time Ratchet climbed down from his garage to the village at the base of the mesa, it was already raining, and raining hard, so there wasn't much time.