Hey everyone, this is the first chapter in my last R&C fanfiction...for now. I'll try to make it the best yet. Please honestly tell me what you think...and no, this is not a DreadZone rip-off...at least I hope not.

Also, I'll be really busy in the following months, so you might not get a another chapter for 3 months, so I'll try to make this count.

Anyway, read on please!

*Goes back to playing Dead Space 2*


They inspected the Lombax's body on the cold metal bench. He was lying there, his body covered with bruises, scars, marks and signs of pain. He was drenched in sweat and grime. Blood dripped from one arm. He was unconscious. He had been for the last few hours, even though he'd been mumbling in his sleep and almost fallen off the bench.

'Is this him?' A beefy thug asked. He was shirtless and was black. His legs and feet were robotic though from the waist down. They had to be replaced. A lucky survivor from a war. 'There were three of them. Are you sure this is the right one?'

'Oh yes, I'm sure,' another voice said. This one sounded like it was spoken from an intercom, except the raw hatred and lack of mercy was so thick in his voice that people were surprised that it was him taking, not Batman and Kessler combined. Everyone who wasn't used to his voice shivered when he spoke. 'I'd never forget that face, that body, that Lombax. Never.'

'So do we get started now?'

'Indeed. And try to make it as uncomfortable as possible for him.'

He turned around and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him. He smiled to himself as he heard the whirl of the machines at work behind the closed door.

'Just you wait,' he kept saying to himself. 'Just you wait until you wake up...'

The first though I thought when I woke up was how much my head hurt. Being knocked out isn't as painful, it's the waking up that's painful. And I had experienced that more than enough times.

I couldn't move my arms, legs, or body in any way. I thought I was buried alive for a split second. It was extremely hot and uncomfortable. It could barely breathe and sweat dripped down my back. I met my tail had been shoved in uncomfortable place once again...it couldn't be...

I then discovered that I half way between lying down and sitting upright. It was a relaxing position, but I had the feeling I was far from being relaxed.

'Ah, you're awake? That's great. We can get started now. I can't wait for this..'

'What?' I said, as I realized I was in some sort of cocoon. My voice was slightly muffled.

'Ah, Ratchet, you don't recognize me? Has it really been that long? Shame on you.'

I slightly recognized that voice, but barely. I looked up and I saw that my vision was through a visor, and I was seeing in a red and orange tint. I was starting to get scared.

'Where am I?' Even as I spoke the words I thought I knew, but surely I couldn't be..

'No where you've been before. But very similar. Except you won't be getting out this time.'

I recognized the voice finally. It sounded half machine and was wheezy, but surely, it was who I thought it was.

'Vox,' I said slowly, my body shaking. How could he still be alive?

'Yes. They found my body floating in space. I was barely alive. In fact I was almost dead. Through the recent technology and various cloning procedures they managed to keep me alive, even if I am 80% machine. Two things kept me alive mentally through all that surgery. One of those things was how I could rebuilt DreadZone. You know I said I would get "the best ratings I've ever had"? Well I did. The fame and fortune with it. Second, it was revenge. Revenge on you, revenge on your race and revenge for the rest of your life.'

'So what is this?' I asked, trying to keep my cool.

'DreadZone II. Only bigger, more brutal, deadly and fearful. And you'll be here until you die. That is of course unless you can escape or survive the impossible. And neither will be happening.'

'So what are you going to do with me?' I asked in fear.

'The suit you're in now in of course the DreadZone armour, except escape from it is impossible. It's your old armour. I found it on that ship you stole. I kept it all this time, waiting for you. Is it too small for you? Good. I also had the kindness of included a free DreadZone collar, except this one will choke you if you get out of hand. It'll get smaller and smaller until it chokes you, so do try to behave.'

I was scared now. I knew that I wasn't going to escape from this madman...or madmachine. It was impossible, he had every angle covered. Sweat ran down my body as I tried to shift myself. I realized that I was locked down to the recliner that I was lying on. My entire back and legs were burning and numb. I must have been sitting in this position for dozens of hours. A tear steamed down my check and mixed in with my sweat as it dripped down my body.

'Your two friends have had the exact same treatment. Although you must have already thought this, I am not a monster. You beat me fair and square and it was my own fault you survived and you taught me a valuable lesson: Never trust a Lombax.' He grunted at his own joke, or that's what it sounded like. 'Also, if you misbehave or try to escape, I'll make your life even more miserable than it is already. We have whole sections for that sort of thing. And I also have ingeniously cooked up a device that will make your suit of armour lock on you. If you are trying to escape, or causing trouble, or if I'm bored, I'll active it. This means that your armour will be locked and impossible to take off. Maybe I'll put it on a day, maybe a week, maybe a month, maybe for eternity. And there is no reverse button and it's impossible to get through. So don't try me. I've done my homework.'

I kept silent, not trusting myself to speak.

'I'm gonna leave now, I've got better things to take care of so sit around for a few hours, drenched in sweat, and cramped as the pain and agony slowly creeps in. And don't go anywhere.' He chuckled at his own pathetic joke as he came over to where I was locked down. He tugged at the metal rings clamped over me, testing each one for his personal pleasure. He then kicked me where one of the bindings was securing my leg down. It wouldn't have hurt normally, but it was already too tight and biting my leg down, and when he kicked it I was sure he shattered the bone. I pursed my lips together and lay motionless, not giving anything away, knowing that all it would do was encourage him further.

He snickered to himself and walked out of the room, the door sliding behind him and them locking as it slid back.

I don't ever think I'd been in more agony in my life, the suit and chair I was locked in must have been designed by some sort of masochistic sadist. I was cramped and uncomfortable. I was sweating so my I felt like I had just come out of the water. I arched my back, trying to make more room for myself but ended up exhausting myself further. I had given up. There was no way I was going to escape a place like this a second time. He would have been much more careful this time. There wasn't a chance that he would be careless once again.

I closed my eyes. It was hot and steamy. I barely had any air in here. I knew that if I passed out I might kill myself, but I didn't really care anymore. As I drifted off to my eternal sleep I saw Kylie's scarred face. She was moving her lips but no sound was coming out, but I knew what was saying, even if I couldn't hear it.

Don't. Don't do it. Don't give up.

You're not real, I thought. It's my imagination.

No Ratchet. It's real. Please, don't do it. Wake up.

No, I mumbled to myself. It can't be...

Wake up wake up wake up wake up wake up wake up wake u..

I woke up with a shudder that went up and down my spine. I was breathing heavily, my heart racing and my chest rising up and down. I then just lay there, not sleeping, not awake; I was in some sort of mental limbo that I couldn't escape from. One that didn't want to escape from. Ever.

Hours later...

I was in a caged room, made out of steel and electric walls. I was still groggy from my sleep and I struggled to stand up in the armour that I was wearing.

'Ahh, he's awake. That's good. Now let's see you go up against a series of tests then shall we?' It wasn't Vox's voice. It must have been some other leader of DreadZone II. 'Let's start with the unarmed combat shall we?'

The cage was lowered down to the ground. I saw that there were three other thugs standing there. They didn't have armour, but from their size and shape I didn't think they needed them.

'It's the big fight! Who will win? The armoured Lombax, or the most vile, the most violent and if I might add, downright ugly thugs on the level? Let's see. Round One, begin!'

The cage door was opened. I had no weapons, but I was good with my fists. Trouble was, this armour was too small and made my movements sluggish and slow. I hoped I could get used to it.

I started doing a combo fight, using my fists, elbows and kicking in the air. I was doing alright, I got one of them down on the ground with blood trickling down his mouth, and the other was in a daze. I jumped in the air and kicked out at the last thug and he crumpled as my foot connected with his head.

I was breathing heavily, and another endless stream of sweat was sliding down my back, but I'd gone through the first round.

'Note to self: Need to get more thugs. Good ones this time.'

Now eight thugs poured in through the door. I started attacking again, getting some solid strikes in, and knocking a few out. One of the thugs tripped me up and got me on the ground. Two of them held me down by my arms and legs.

'Oh this is going to get interesting. I can't wait to see how it ends.'

I kicked out at the thugs who was probably going to stand on my guts and sent him flying into the other remaining ones. I got to my feet, shoved the other one away, and then I got the last thug on his knees. I grabbed his arm, placed my foot on his shoulder blade and stomped down. He yelled in pain as there was a crunching sound.

'Come on boys, he's just one Lombax. One Lombax dressed like a gladiator and armed to the teeth.'

I then punched out everyone else as fast as I could until no one was standing.

'Hey Ratchet, go easy on 'em, hrm? For me? Oh hell, what the bloody hell do I care, do your worst!'

My heart sank as fourteen thugs came into the room. The paging system's speaker giggled uncontrollably. 'Oh this is going to be precious. Maybe I should record this and post it on the internet!'

I backed up into the cage that I was in. Everyone followed me. I stood on top of the bench there as they all gathered around me.

'Let's tie him down and pull his guts out!' Some of them started chanting stupidly. I then jumped across to the other side of the cage and exited it. I slammed it shut and pressed a button on the side. The cage at once descended to the lower floors. I couldn't believe that it had worked.

'Did I tell you I was going to kill each and every henchmen who failed to beat you? No? Oh well, must have slipped my mind. Anyway, we'll continue this later on. Your friends are waiting for you in your quarters.'

I went through the doorway and down the series of stairs and passageways that I was directed to go to. I then came to our quarters.

I saw that Rex and Kylie had armour on as well, except Rex had armour on that looked slightly like the Power Armour from Fallout 3, and Kylie had armour that was similar to mine, except it was a navy blue and gunmetal gray.

'Ratchet,' Kylie said, running towards me. She hugged me as she got close to me. 'I thought you were dead.'

'It'll take more than them to kill me,' I said, taking my helmet off. 'So it looks like we're all here in DreadZone II. Fantastic.'

'He's going to make our lives miserable, you know that right?' Rex said. 'I really don't know what we should do.'

'Well for now we're going to wait here until they call us. We might be able to get out of here somehow.'

'Hey Ratchet,' Kylie said, 'do you know anyone called Ace Hardlight?'

'Why?' I asked.

'Well it seems that there's this guy here who's the star of the place. He seems to be impossible to beat, and he's got it in for you. I have a feeling you're gonna get it.'

When do I not get it? I thought.


So what do you guys think? R&R if you feel like doing so.