Vixel.
Ratchet… And his partner, Clank, was both lazing about on a sunny afternoon on Veldin.
"It's good to be home…" Ratchet muttered.
But all that was about to change…
"I think I'll go out for a walk!" Ratchet said happily.
He got up and ran off, and it wasn't long before Ratchet sat down to admire the beauty of his home planet. But of course the peace didn't last long, as Ratchet heard what sounded like a gunshot, and shortly after, a scream of terror. Ratchet instinctively followed the noise, and saw a group of robots surrounding something. Whatever it was, it quickly popped out of the group, too fast to even see, but whatever it was, it was coming toward Ratchet. It was a person! She was female, maybe about three years old. As she ran up to Ratchet and clung to his leg, only then did Ratchet realise, that the young girl, was a Lombax! Naturally, Ratchet was surprised, for he thought he was the only Lombax left in existence. He quickly picked up the girl, and swiftly ran back to Clank.
"Who's that?" Clank asked.
"I don't know…" Ratchet said, putting the sleeping Lombax on his bed.
"She's a Lombax!" Clank exclaimed.
"Well no duh…"
"How did you find her?"
"A group of robots seemed to be after her, she got away, and she ran up to me."
"I wonder why they would want a young Lombax…"
"No idea. It's late, so I'll be off to bed."
Ratchet woke up, but he didn't really want to get up out of bed. Five minutes later, he got up, and walked into the living room. He noticed Clank and the little Lombax staring at each other.
"What are you two doing?" Ratchet asked.
The girl suddenly jumped up and hid in the corner.
"What's up with her?" Ratchet muttered.
"She seems to be scared."
"But what about yesterday? She clung onto my leg and let me carry her. Why should she be scared now?"
"I suppose yesterday, she was looking for comfort, and since you look like her, she must have thought that you would protect her."
"Of course I'd protect her, she's a Lombax!"
Ratchet slowly walked up to her.
"What's your name?" He asked.
She shook her head.
"Don't worry. You're safe here. Whenever you're ready, ok?"
Ratchet walked up to Clank.
"I'm going to fix the ship."
He picked up his wrench and walked out of the room. The Lombax crawled over to Clank, and sat next to him.
"Do you have a name?"
She nodded her head.
"Can you tell me?"
She shook her head.
"Why not?"
She pointed at Clank.
"Oh, robots. I get it. Well I can assure you, I will never harm you."
"My name… Is Vixel…" She muttered.
"That's a great name!"
Vixel smiled, slid off the chair, and started to explore the room. She entered the room Ratchet was in, fixing the ship. He left the room, without noticing Vixel. She noticed the wrench and the parts, and started to put them together. A few minutes later, she thought she had finished, so she made a further inspection. Two minutes later, Ratchet came in, to finish the ship, but only to find it fixed.
"How are you doing, Ratchet?" Clank asked, walking in.
Ratchet looked confused.
"Where's Vixel?" Clank asked, looking around.
"Vixel?"
"The girls name."
Vixel opened the top of the ship, and tumbled out. She quickly put the wrench behind her back, even though it was bigger than her.
"Did you do that?" Ratchet stuttered.
Vixel nodded her head.
"How…?"
She held out the wrench. Ratchet smiled.
"I'm Ratchet."
"I'm… Vixel."
The years passed by, and Ratchet and Vixel bonded like a parent to child. They both more or less shared the same interests, but it wasn't until Vixel's tenth birthday did they seal it.
Vixel was really excited today. Ratchet had promised her something special, and she was ready to go out.
"Let's go, Vix." Ratchet said.
They walked for hours, and it wasn't long before Vixel got agitated.
"Are we there yet…?"
"Why don't you try over that pile of rubble?"
Vixel jumped over the small pile of rubble with skill and ease, and the next thing that could be heard was a scream of delight. Ratchet jumped over.
"You got me my own Omni-Wrench?"
"It was my old one, I used it on my first ever adventure…"
Vix got up and hugged Ratchet.
"I love you, Ratchet!"
He smiled. They all walked back home, and as soon as they arrived, Vix started to take everything apart and putting it back together again. You would suppose breaking things and fixing them again would be exhausting, and it was, for she fell asleep, putting the TV back together.
"Do you think all Lombaxes are born mechanics?" Ratchet asked Clank.
"I don't know. But it is kind of strange how she can fix everything like you can."
Everything seemed to be going great, no galaxies or planets in danger, lucky for Ratchet. He was enjoying the experience of looking after Vixel; it was a challenge he ad never taken before, and the bond between them was really in for it, and it takes place in the present…
A message had just come in for Ratchet, but he was away for something, so Vixel took it. She read it out loud:
Ratchet,
There are some rogue Terranoids only a couple of miles away from you. They are faster than normal because they are all high on sugar. There is a fair number, but nothing you can't handle.
"Taken care of." Vixel muttered.
She ran out and grabbed her wrench. Clank was still in the house, so Vix ran to tell him where she was going.
"Clank…?"
"Yes?"
"I'm gonna stop evil-hyper Terranoids, so I'll be back in a couple of hours!" She said so fast that you couldn't understand. She dashed outside.
"Wait!" Clank shouted.
Vixel stopped in her tracks.
"You're a sixteen year old Lombax with nothing but a wrench and the clothes n your back. What are you going to do?"
She shrugged and ran off, so fast that nobody could catch her. Vixel run fast, with the wind in her fur, and she soon saw the Terranoids, and they were smaller that she had thought.
"Prepare to die!" She shouted.
They all looked at her as if she was stupid, and a moment later, one of them ran back. It soon came back, with what looked like hundreds more, and several bigger ones, with plasma guns.
"Crap."
They all started to swarm toward her, and that's when instinct kicked in. Vixel swung her wrench with power, taking several small ones out at the same time. She back-flipped, side-flipped and front-flipped out of harms way, grateful Ratchet had told her these skills. In about an hour's time, most of the smaller ones had been defeated, so she focused on the larger ones. They shot at her, and she dodged most of the shots, but the ones that hit, hurt. Vixel was down to one, the last one. She was panting like a dog. She leaned over, put her hands on her knees and breathed deeply. Vix ran at it, and slammed her wrench down upon it.
"Finally!"
Vixel sat down and closed her eyes. She could hear what sounded like metal moving, but she thought it was all in her head. She suddenly felt someone pick her up by the back of hr shirt, and instantly tried to bite them before opening her eyes. The impact on her fangs was so hard, she cried out. Vix slowly opened her eyes, to find the same robots that had attacked her when she was younger! A jolt of fear shot through her body.
Ratchet walked back into the house, and Clank was eagerly awaiting him.
"What's wrong, Clank?"
"It's Vixel! She ran off, and hasn't come back in hours!"
"Serious? Then I'm going!"
Ratchet ran through the paths and fields of Veldin faster than he ever could have done before.
"What do you want?"
The robot that held her stayed out, while the others separated, forming a pathway. A single robot came down the path, and stopped in front of her.
"You… You're the one that tried to shoot me back when I was three!"
"That may be, but you are needed. I am Szabo, loyal servant of Nene, from a different dimension!"
Szabo clicked his fingers, and sparks of electricity shot through Vixel's body, enough to render her unconscious, but she stood her ground. She couldn't move or speak, but she was still conscious.
"That will do. She can't get away now."
What looked like a wormhole appeared in front of Szabo, and everyone walked in. She was about to enter, when a figure jumped toward them.
"Ratchet! Help me!" Vixel shouted, with all the strength left in her body. She felt herself go through the wormhole.
"No!" Vixel screamed.
Ratchet dived over, but he was too late.