Song: "Let Me Try" by Nathan Sharp a.k.a. NateWantsToBattle
"All right, everyone, let's do a quick recap of our plan before we get to work," Elaris said, sliding a holomap projector onto Grimroth's desk. She tapped a few buttons and a glowing orange map of the Deplanetizer skulking around the Planet Umbris sprung out of it. She tapped a few more buttons before little holograms of Ranger Starjumpers and the Starship Phoenix showed up. "We need to mass produce the Mag-Boosters that Ratchet created for his ship to help stop the warbot invasion. If we make enough, we should have the power to pull the Deplanetizer away from Umbris. But we'll have to work quickly. Everyone got it?"
"Got it!" The Rangers replied.
Ratchet kept holding a thumbs up as the group dispersed, and his nice gesture and smiling face quickly faded away. His arm fell to his side and his ears drooped a bit. Despite his great rebound from a sadsack failure to a Ranger once more, he couldn't help but feel awful. Running away from the Rangers like that when they needed him most...what was he thinking. He placed his hand up against his forehead. Running away wasn't the right thing to do. It wasn't what a hero would do. He should've stayed and accepted what he did and tried to fix it. But...he was just too afraid to linger around his large scale failure.
"Hey."
Ratchet was startled out of his thoughts by a hand being placed on his shoulder. He turned. It was Elaris.
"We need your handy work. So let's get to it," she said with a friendly smile.
Ratchet stood there for a moment before rubbing the back of his head, "Listen, I...I umm...I'm real sorry for running away like that. It was very...unprofessional, as people might put it. I should have stayed. I should have-"
"No one blames you, Ratchet," Cora suddenly said, appearing right next to Elaris. "That mission...it was a lot of pressure. One that I, not gonna lie, didn't think that you should have been apart of. It was tough for even us seasoned Rangers. But, even though we lost Novalis, I have to admit, you were handling things pretty well."
"Really?" The Lombax asked, his ears standing up a bit.
You and I we both know well
I couldn't do this by myself
And everyday it's all the same
You picked me up when down I fell
"Really. You've done excellent as a Ranger so far, Ratchet. And we're proud of you," Elaris said, placing a hand on her waist.
A small smile formed on Ratchet's face. He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a bit bashful taking compliments from these two. It was nice that they were trying to cheer him up even though he messed up pretty badly. But it was still a nice feeling knowing that they would do this for him. And Cora actually said that he was doing really well, and after all of the criticisms she had given him, being praised by her was really something special.
"Now come on, rookie," Cora said, slugging him in the arm. "We've got work to do. We have to be ready before the Deplanetizer's first move."
"Yeah, we need to get working on those Mag-Boosters," Elaris added with a nod.
"Yeah, let's get to work!" Ratchet said happily, tightening his glove. This was something that he could really shine in: mechanic work. He had built everything from a thruster to a Swingshot, so making a few Mag-Boosters wasn't going to be so hard. Besides, it was all to help the Rangers, which was something he had wanted to do for a long time.
But I'm still standing through and through
I know exactly what to do
I'll give it everything I got
Although I'm not stronger than you
"Uh, hey, Ratchet?" Brax called out, summoning the Lombax. "Where does this cable thingy go?"
"Oh! That goes right here," Ratchet said, pointing to an outlet behind a tangle of wires.
"Thanks..." The large Ranger tried plugging it in, but his large hand kept getting stuck and tangled up in all of the stray wires. "Uh, I need some help."
"Here, I'll just..." Ratchet plugged in the cable, making it spark a bit. He then grabbed onto the large pile of wires and pulled them towards him. "I'll untangle these for you. I can untangle wires faster than you can say...um...'u-untangled wires'!"
"Thanks, rook," Brax said with a smile. Ratchet smiled back, happy to help.
But I'll be your shield
I can be your lion
I'll dry your eyes if I see you crying
Believe in me and I won't let you down
"Come on guys, we're already making great progress!" Elaris yelled out, inspecting the two newly-made Mag-Boosters. They were a little shaky, but they would work. Everyone was doing a great job. "The Solana Galaxy is counting on us! Let's stop Nefarious and Drek in their tracks!"
"YEAH!" Everyone replied.
Ratchet twirled his wrench and began tightening one of the third Mag-Booster's bolts. Two made. They were getting there. Time felt like it was rushing underneath him like a raging river. They could do this, he knew that they could. They had known each other for such a short time, but he already felt a bind with every single one of the Rangers, and he felt like that he had ran one million miles with them. He knew that they had what it takes. He did, too. They just didn't see it at first. He hoped that they saw it now.
But now we've come so far
I know just who we are
And we shine brighter than any gem between us and the sun
Now it's just you and me
Like it was meant to be
And I'll protect you
I'll defend you
If you let me try
We'll stay together now and forever
Just let me try
Ratchet pushed himself underneath one of the boosters to adjust one of the panelings that had came loose when he accidentally bumped into it with his leg earlier. His eyes were seeing nothing but red and black as the booster was just inches above his. He squirmed a bit as he worked with the little space that he had. He pushed the paneling back into place and lifted his blowtorch up to it, careful to keep the flame away from his body. Sparks suddenly flew everywhere when the flame hit the metal, and some made a beeline for Ratchet's face. He yelped and jumped, hitting the booster. It swung back and forth, making Ratchet stare up at it in horror.
"Oh no..." His fear came true as the booster dislodged from its hook and dropped down onto him. "AGH! Someone! Someone! Help! Can't breathe! I can't breathe!"
"Hold on, rookie!" Brax called out, running towards him. He grabbed the Mag-Booster and almost effortlessly lifted it up and off of Ratchet. He placed it carefully back onto its hook and looked down at Ratchet. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah...yeah...hoo...I'm fine...yeah..." Ratchet breathed deeply, placing a hand on his stomach. Brax grabbed his arm and pulled him onto his face (but the force of it almost put Ratchet back down onto the ground). Ratchet rubbed his back and took another deep breath. Then he looked at Brax, "You lifted that thing like it was nothing. How in the world you do you it?"
"Simple. Lots of fighting, lots of pumping iron, lots of protein shakes," Brax said, pretending to lift weights. "And, finally, something to fight for."
"Something to fight for?" Ratchet asked, lifting an eyebrow. "I've never heard you mention that in any of your interviews on the holovision."
"Well, it's a little secret of mine. Whenever I'm fighting, I just remember that I have to stay alive for my dad."
"Your dad?"
"Yeah. Older guy. He's got a...few health problems. I always visit and help him when I'm not doing the Ranger biz."
"Whoa...I never knew that about you," Ratchet said, fascinated.
"Yeah. So, whenever you're in a bad situation, just remember that you have to fight through for your...for your umm...mom?" Brax asked, shrugging his shoulders.
"Don't got a mom, dude."
"Oh, sorry. I didn't know. Well, in that case, you can ummm...I dunno, fight for that old fart Fongoid over there?"
"Hey! I heard that!" Grimroth called from the other side of the garage. "You two get back to work before I have to come over there!"
"Yeah yeah, I'm gettin' back!" Brax called back. He patted Ratchet on the shoulder (almost knocking him down again), "Anyway, just remember to keep fighting. Whether it's for someone or not. But just remember that you have partners that'll be there for any situation that you can't handle."
"Yeah, I'll uh...I'll remember that. Thanks, Brax," Ratchet said as the large Ranger walked away. Keep fighting...fight for someone...for his mom (that he didn't have), for Grimroth...hm. He didn't know that Brax could offer such encouragement.
You and I we both know
We couldn't do this on our own
You say you're fighting for my mother
But won't see how much I've grown
But I can't believe everything that I'm told
I'll fight 'til the end while I'm young and when I'm old
"Ugh, these things are heavier than they look!" Cora huffed while trying to carry a Mag-Booster on her own. Her eyes were strained and her breathing was heavy as she went one shaky foot after the other towards the Phoenix. It was when she one one third of the way there that she began to sway and lose her grip, "No no no!"
"Cora!" Ratchet swooped in and quickly grabbed the other side of the booster before it dropped down to the ground and most likely onto Cora. He huffed as well as he lifted up the heavy weight. "Come on, I'll guide you towards the Phoenix."
But I'll be your shield
I can be your lion
I'll dry your eyes if I see you crying
Believe in me and I won't let you down
"I didn't ask for your help, rookie," Cora said, trying to seem bitter and cold. But Ratchet knew better. He knew that she was thankful that he was helping. And she knew that he wasn't falling for it. He could barely keep a straight face. "But...it is appreciated. Thanks."
"No problem. Us Rangers must stick together and help the best that we can, right?"
"Heh...right."
But now we've come so far
I know just who we are
And we shine brighter than any gem between us and the sun
Now it's just you and me
Like it was meant to be
And I'll protect you
I'll defend you
If you let me try
We'll stay together now and forever
Just let me try
Ratchet took a quick breather after he was done helping Cora carry that booster. His eyes drifted into the garage and he smiled at all of the hard work he was seeing. Brax, Cora, Elaris, Grimroth and even Zed were in there trying their very best to help save the galaxy. It was a sight that he honestly didn't believe he was ever going to see in his lifetime. It was a dream come true. However, something seemed to be missing. There was a missing piece of the picture in this sight. A little silver one.
Ratchet looked around the garage and outside in search for that missing piece. And he quickly found it outside next to the Phoenix and all of the Mag-Boosters. Clank was walking around each individual booster, observing their components and consulting several blueprints to make sure that they were all built correctly and could withstand their large task. Ratchet smiled. What a nerd.
"Hey, tincan!" Ratchet called out. Clank turned around and lowered his blueprints as the Lombax walked towards him. Ratchet placed his hands on his waist and looked at all of the boosters, "Those are a lot of Mag-Boosters."
"Indeed," was all Clank responded. His words were always so simple yet so complex.
"And, uh, you know, it looks like Elaris is able to handle everything in there. So how about I give you a hand?"
Clank tilted his head at Ratchet's offer. The Lombax smiled a bit. Despite having the maturity of someone in their thirties or forties, Clank always maintained that childlike facial expression and curiosity. It made this robot seem even more peculiar than he already was.
"Well," Clank said, "I suppose that I could give up part of my job to you."
The robot smiled and handed Ratchet some blueprints, which he gladly accepted. It was weird. Ratchet was having such a great time working on the Mag-Boosters with the other Rangers, but when he saw Clank working all by himself, he couldn't help but want to work with him. After all, they made an incredible team. They fought together to defeat three hundred warbots and an army of Zurkons. But none of that would have happened if Clank hadn't crashed outside of the garage. And now they were an awesome duo.
Stay with me
Fight with me
Victory's abound
Now we've got this
Can't stop us
And I won't let you down
Ratchet began observing one of the booster's wiring when he heard a sudden yelp. He sprang up and he saw Clank freaking out about something. He jumped over the many boosters and over to his friend to see what the problem was. Clank, for some reason, has a warbot head stuck to his foot, its metal jaw clamping onto his ankle. Ratchet grabbed Clank's shoulder as the robot tried to shake it off.
"Okay! I got it! I got it." The warbot head let go of the robot and Ratchet lifted it up to take a look at it. "What is this doing here?"
"Perhaps," Clank said, shaking his head and calming down, "it was stuck in the ship after the warbot invasion. And when Mr. Grimroth had it towed back here, it simply fell off. But I vertainly did not expect it to latch on like that. It scared be half to death. I do not want that touching me."
"Heheh, now that I think about it it was kinda funny," Ratchet laughed. He received a harsh glare from Clank, which only made him laugh harder. The robot stormed away to continue his task of checking the Mag-Boosters.
Ratchet let out a few more laughs before calming down. He sat down on the ground and looked down at the warbot head. That thing was ugly looking. It had a huge jaw and one big red eye. It kinda grossed him out. To think that Clank was supposed to look like this...
The Lombax's ears drooped a bit. To think that Clank was supposed to look like this. Clank said that...he didn't want the warbot head to touch him. He didn't like it. Ratchet looked back at Clank, who had a bit of a mad look on his face as he checked the blueprints. Ratchet had nearly forgotten that Clank was a defect from the warbot factory line. Drek's warbot factory line. He wondered if it bother Clank. Where he came from, he meant. Knowing that he came from the enemy's side. It must have been hard.
I know you never asked to be made
"Hey," Ratchet said, getting Clank's attention again.
"What?" Clank responded.
The Lombax looked down at the warbot head again before looking back up at his defective friend, "I'd rather have you be like you are now than have you be one of the giant, menacing warbots."
Clank's face immediately softened up, like he wasn't expecting to hear something like that at all. He looked away for a moment, Ratchet thought that he saw him look at his hands, then he turned back and nodded, "Thank you, Ratchet."
"No problem, pal."
But now we've come so far
I know just who we are
And we shine brighter than any gem between us and the sun
"Alright, we have everything that we need," Elaris said, regrouping everyone around all of the Mag-Boosters. "This is really great. With all of these, we should be able to yank the Deplanetizer away."
"We did that quicker than I expected us to," Cora admitted.
"Yeah, but we were pretty great," Brax said."
"Indeed," Clank smiled.
"Yes we were," Ratchet said cheerfully.
But now we've come so far
I know just who we are
And we shine brighter than any gem between us and the sun
"And now we move into phase two. Ratchet, do you remember how to use the hologuise I gave you earlier?" Elaris asked, pointing to Ratchet.
"Yes I do," Ratchet said, locating on his Ranger suit that he had put on minutes beforehand.
"Good. So you and Clank infiltrate the Deplanetizer and get to the Starcracker chamber. I'll guide you from there. Got it?"
"Yep!"
"You can count on us, Elaris," Clank said with a nod.
"Perfect. All right, everyone, it's go time. Let's stop Drek and Nefarious and save everyone!"
"YEAH!"
"Come on, Clank," Ratchet said, grabbing his robot friend. The two rushed out of the garage and to their Ranger Starjumper. Ratchet opened the cockpit and jumped in, Clank worming his way behind. The Lombax took a deep breath. It was go time. No turning back now. "This is going to be one heck of a ride, Clank."
"Yes..." Clank trailed off for a moment before reaching up and tapping Ratchet on the shoulder. The Lombax turned around to face him. The robot tapped his fingers together looking a bit worrisome. "Ratchet, about what you said earlier, I really do appreciate it."
"It's no problem, buddy. Really. I do like you more like this than a towering warbot."
"Yes, well...I just hope that I do not hold you back on this mission."
"You won't. You're going to be a big help. And you've already been a big help. And I would never say that you're getting in the way and brush you off. You're my friend and my fellow Ranger. And Rangers always stick together, right?"
Ratchet smiled and held out his fist. Clank looked down for a quick moment before a smile formed on his own face. He nodded and his eyes grew brighter along with his smile. He formed his own fit and bumped it with Ratchet's, "Yes, Rangers always stick together. Now let us stop Drek and Nefarious from terrorizing the galaxy."
"Now you're talking!"
Ratchet and Clank, with determined hearts, blasted into space and towards the Deplanetizer, ready for whatever was going to be thrown at them. And they would do it together as partners, Rangers, and friends.
Now it's just you and me
Like it was meant to be
And I'll protect you
I'll defend you
If you let me try
We'll stay together now and forever
Just let me try