Jaxon is coming out of a room filled with steam. He is a 17 year old lombax, five feet eight inches tall, fire red hair, dark orange fur with bright red orange stripes, and living on a planet most believe to be long abandoned do to inhospitable circumstances. He's wearing just a pair of sweat pants that hang at the bottom. He's feet leave steam to rise as he steps on the cold floor. The orange crosses on his fur get bigger or smaller on his body whether your looking his body from the floor up, or his head down.
"Hey Rachel, how's the decryption going?" He asks as he reaches a computer console. He looks over to another door intently wanting to go to it because of what lies behind it.
"Well who ever put this encryption knew what they were doing. I barely have a fourth of the data cracked." She responds through the intercom. The computer monitor displays a small screen with her face, the rest of the jumbo tron sized screen is codes and equations rolling across.
"Show me what you got love." Jaxon says while he stands straight up and stretches. His muscles rippling as he does this, showing off his athletic form. Rachel nods on her little screen and looks at the larger screen, the codes switch over and a screen with a large file appears. Opening the file reveals a few more files, Jaxon opens the first and it's blueprints of some kind. He looks confused as it looks like the Blarg old planet harvester they used when Drek was in control but a few parts are reversed. He opens another and it's the Bio-bliterater, but more destructive specs.
"Wish I never helped design that thing." Jaxon mumbles. He opens a new file and this one's of the machine he took apart for the flux converter.
"That's the last time I design something that vital with someone so close by. Fucking Blarg fucked me over on that deal, I just took back what was mine." He thinks aloud. Each file reveals blueprints of weapons or gadgets turned more deadly than originally designed. He reaches the end it seems to be a jumble of the weapons and gadgets shrunk into a suit, but it's the not the final blueprint so it's of no real use.
"This everything?" Jaxon asks. Rachel nods.
"For now, I'm actually decrypting a video in the drive as we speak, I would like to show you as soon as its done." Rachel says as the screen returns to the decryption screen.
"Alright tell me when you have more done. I'll be in my workshop if you need me for anything." Jaxon says heading to the door he was looking at before.
"Actually we have uninvited guests. Some bots who are searching for a way beyond the front door." Rachel says. Jaxon stops and sighs, before turning around and heading to a drawer built into the wall. He strips off his pants, leaving him wearing nothing more than black boxer briefs. He rummages through the drawer and pulls out a pair of dark grey armored combat pants. Next he pulls out a tank top and a sweater with one sleeve missing and the other an extremely short sleeve. He puts it on and heads the complete opposite direction of the console.
"I'll be back, might wanna set up another ice bath." Jaxon says punching in a code that calls down an elevator. He grabs his Omni-wrench off the wall, a slightly longer one compared to Ratchets with a short and long hook at the end, and goes in to the elevator.
"Crap forgot shoes. Oh well it's just a couple of bots, should be through with this quick enough." He says as the elevator shuts and starts up to the ground level. He checks his pants making sure they still take blows and deflect them, nearly tossing his wrench into a wall in the process. He makes sure his hidden armor under his sweater stays that way. He looks down the sight of his blaster and sets the firing mechanism. He sighs as he holsters the blaster and flexes his muscles. Stretching his arms and legs as the elevator raises. He's finished stretching his back when the elevator stops. He grabs his wrench from his back and holds it with two hands like a swordsman.
Outside the elevator doors
Both bots are legless, with jet propulsion systems helping them hover off the ground. They are made of armor plated together covering their circuits and wires. They have pointed slit visors for their optics, they glow orange red. Their armor is freshly waxed and buffed that they practically shine in the moonless night all the same.
"Merc are you sure this is a good idea? I've heard that most people, or bots like us, end up going missing on this planet." Says the bot on the left.
"Ah don't get your wires in a bunch Green. Besides your the one who wanted to go on an adventure. Well now we've traveled across two galaxies, nearly twenty different planets, this one's the last stop on our adventure. Then we can finally get some RNR and do normal stuff." Says the bot on the right known as Merc.
"I guess your right Merc. Alright let's go and see if we can't find some treasure." Green says pulling out a blaster from his back.
"That's the spirit you old battle droid. Now what's behind door number one?" Merc asks floating up to the door while pulling his own blaster out. Green follows close behind and keeps himself on a swivel. When they are within ten feet of the door they hear a hiss and then the sound of something stopping. Both of them point their blasters at the giant door. It begins to open slowly, as if taunting them with the chance of treasures or untimely death.
Jaxon is waiting for the door to open taking up a stance that he can use to push himself through his attackers if that's who is behind the door.
"Did he finally find me and sent bots to do the dirty work? Or is she still looking for me after all this time?" Jaxon asks himself while the bots still can't hear him. He shrugs it off as the door reaches a point where he can see a set of blasters pointing at him.
I guess the latter isn't as persistent as the former. He thinks to himself as he prepares for the first blast.
Merc and Green see a furry creature as the door opens. First his feet, then his armored pants, then the omni-wrench in his hands. When they see the wrench they open fire on the person behind the door. It's more of a cover fire as they retreat knowing that very few people with wrenches that size mean to greet.
Jaxon jumps over the blaster fire and saumersaults to the back wall of the elevator. He lands on the wall and uses it to propel himself forward over the blaster fire and behind the bots. He stands up straight and plants his wrench in the ground, both hands on the handle waiting for the bots to turn around.
Merc and Green are still firing on the elevator doors, with the smoke they can't tell if they're hitting anything, but they don't care. Merc holds up his hand when they're a good distance away.
"Do you think we got him?" Green asks.
"Ah no, I think you both missed your marks miserably." Jaxon says from behind them. He's leaning on his wrench with both arms.
"How the fuck!?" Merc exclaims aiming his blaster at Jaxon.
"Fire that and you both become scrap metal. Got it?" Jaxon says, pointing half of his wrench at them both. It has split into two halves of the original wrench and theirs a bolt in the center of the left one to lock it back into one whole wrench. Merc growls and Green seems to be shaking on the trigger. Then Merc lowers his blaster signaling for Green to do the same before he does something they regret.
"Good, now I'm gonna ask you nicely, if I don't like your answer, you're scrap metal. Got it?" Jaxon asks them keeping his blades pointed at them.
"Well get it over with already then. Sooner you ask the sooner we leave." Merc says aggravated.
"Alright then, names and who sent you?" Jaxon asks.
"What are you talking about? No one sent us we're traveling around for fun." Green says before Merc can say anything.
"Really Green, now he knows we don't have back up!" Merc exclaims.
"Whoops! Sorry Merc, didn't mean to do that. But seriously who-" they're disturbed by the clattering of the wrench halves hitting the ground.
"Merc...Green...is it...is it really you guys?" Jaxon asks. He walks over to Green and starts feeling the face plate and sensor.
"Do we know you?" Merc asks.
"Oh right, I took your core memories and replaced them with blank slates. Well my names Jaxon, I'm your builder, your A.I., battle protocols, heck even your names." Jaxon says recollecting himself.
"Well...I mean it's not unbelievable. After all Clank and AL found us in a junk pile still in mostly one piece. We could've belonged to someone else. But if so then why did you leave us behind and wipe our memories?" Green asks. Jaxon picks up his blades and puts them back together into his wrench.
"I couldn't risk Vox tracking you to capture me. So on the last day..."
Flashback six years ago.
Jaxon brings his wrench down on a drone and backflips over another competitor. He unhooks his blades and slashes the competitor's blaster arm. Jaxon stands over the competitor. He's wearing deep red and gold armor that is taller than he is at his tender age of eleven, it's plated old fashioned, the red overlapping the gold, that has an X pattern across the arms and back, and a bright blue X for a visor. Merc and Green are blasting drones away from Jaxon and his opponent.
"Jax finish it already man, we're running low on ammo and I don't think your 'fans' can wait much longer." Merc says switching blasters. Green switches to a rocket launcher and fires into a cluster of drones. Jaxon looks around and everyone is screaming for Jaxon to finish the job that being a gladiator in the Dreadzone requires. Jaxon looks at his wrench and puts it away. Instead he looks down at his hand through his visor and the pulsing X's stay a solid bright red, his hand is revealed by the pulling back armor, alight with fire. He kneels down next to the gladiator who is now struggling under restraints that were put on him by Green's support system.
"I'm sorry." Jaxon whispers as he touches the helmet. He and the crowd hears the screams of the gladiator as Jaxon's fire burns the helmet in seconds, and then the being within's face. Jaxon holds the gladiator down as he struggles and convulses in pain trying to pry Jaxon off. But his grip is too strong and a damaged arm does nothing more than bleed on Jaxon's armor. The body stops shortly after and the crowd is chanting louder than ever for Jaxon, Merc, and Green. Jaxon sighs and walks out the opening exit with Merc and Green following.
"Well well, if it isn't the crowd favorite. What's the matter kid, someone missed their nap?" Lone star taunts Jaxon by the exit. Jaxon wastes no time pinning him to the wall, twisting one arm behind his back and using his own weight to hold him.
"I'm not in the mood for your crap newbie. When you reach my level than you have the chance to brag, otherwise fuck off before I melt that pretty face of yours." Jaxon says before pushing off of him and continuing on his way. Lone star watches as Jaxon leaves holding his arm and blowing on it as the glow from the X's dulls back into timed pulses. Jaxon heads to the carrier and waits for Merc and Green to join him inside. He takes off his helmet when the door shuts.
"Ugh I hate this fucking place! I hate this suit! I hate this fucking ship!" Jaxon rants his armors flash getting brighter each time, blinding the entire cabin and drivers.
"Argh, Jax turn it down a bit, our sensors are gonna fry at this rate!" Green exclaims. Jaxon takes a few deep breaths, his armor dulling the lights back to simple pulses. Then a idea strikes him and he cracks a smile. Green and Merc look at each other worried about the smile that Jaxon has. Jaxon puts the helmet back on and can be heard sizzling inside as he turns up the heat, the X's getting brighter and brighter till the driver is blinded when he looks back inside the cabin.
He veers off course and crashes into a wall. Jaxon is holding on as the ship bounces off the wall and spins and bucks as its auto pilot tries to take control. Merc and Green are covering their sensors to keep from being blinded. But they aren't doing much else, there bodies being tossed through out the cabin.
A minute later Jaxon is climbing out of the rubble of the transport. The drivers seat and the entire front end of the cabin is crushed. Jaxon is holding two large globes in his hands.
"I'm sorry guys, I should've warned you. But it's too late now and I can't wait here or else Vox will catch me again. I hope you can forgive me one day." Jaxon says looking down at the fading lights of Merc and Green's visors. The crash has knocked them unconscious and immobilized. Jaxon cradles the globes in his hands as he hears more transports on the way to asses the damage and check for survivors. Looking back at Merc and Green Jaxon hops down from the wreckage and lands on a leaving junk ship. He burns the collar off and tosses it as the ship leaves the space station.
"I still regret leaving you guys since I didn't know what he would do to you. But it seems he didn't do anything bad. Took your legs but I can replace those. Actually I can rebuild you both if your OK with that." Jaxon says still standing between Merc and Green.
They look at each other and hover away some from Jaxon and closer together. They put an arm around each other and huddle together quickly to talk about there options.
"What do you think Green, should we trust him?" Merc asks.
"I don't know Merc, he seems to be telling the truth. And if it is true than he can give us information about before the junk heap, possibly fix us up. I say let's see what he can do for us, maybe get some dirt on him to escape with later." Green says. They turn back to Jaxon.
"OK we'll come with you for repairs and to see if your being honest. But after that we're gone kid." Merc says. Jaxon nods and leads them back the way he came from. He looks at the blast marks across the wall and sighs fearing the damage inside. Opening the elevator doors Jaxon sucks in a deep breath. Blast marks line the entire back wall and a few bounced onto the side walls.
"Oh Rachel is gonna kill us when she sees this." Jaxon says as they all walk into the elevator.
"Who's Rachel, your girlfriend?" They both ask. Jaxon stumbles almost hitting the wrong button on the elevator.
"What no!? She's your older sister." Jaxon says as the doors close and the elevator drops fast, fast enough that his feet are almost off the ground, but still calm enough that his feet aren't.
They reach the landing and the doors open. Merc and Green come out massaging their hands because they had to hold on to the side bars to keep from hitting the roof. Jaxon walks out and hangs his sweater and omni-wrench on the wall that he grabbed it from and plops down on the chair in front of the console. Rachel's face appears on the screen behind him with an aggravated look.
"Jaxon, I know I don't have much right to complain, and I don't usually, but what the hell are you doing bringing two strange battle bots into our home?" Rachel asks him, her tone intensifying the angry look on her face.
"Oh relax Rach these two are friends. Actually they're more than that for you. And they've agreed to hear out something's from me along with a few repairs for them. So contact the shop let them know I'm gonna be out for a couple days. They have all the gear and if I'm personally needed then I'll come in. But that's only if it's really messy." Jaxon says getting up and stretching real quick. He turns towards the door he was looking at before and starts walking towards it.
"Well this is good and bad for us." He says.
"How so?" Rachel, Merc, and Green ask.
"The good news is we got two new recruits for the team. The bad news is if these two found us, so can everyone else." Jaxon says, looking directly at Rachel. Merc and Green are confused but Rachel nods and the screen starts the decryption again at a faster rate.
"Why's that so bad?" Green asks.
"Because of what's after me. It's dark, it's evil, and it will do anything to get at me. It's why I ran and have been in hiding for so long." Jaxon says opening the door. A pure bright light flashes and blinds Merc and Green shortly. Jaxon puts on Ski goggles that change from clear to black tint.
"Come on I'll work on your repairs and we can chat about what we've been up to for the past couple of years." Jaxon says waving them forward. The door shuts as they all enter the room.
Drak: hey folks welcome back. Sorry about last time. I have a sensitivity about being compared to small creatures cause of my height since I'm a dragon. But Ratchets fine, I didn't cook him or anything...Yet... So anyway now is Jaxon and Rachel's turn for interviews.
Jaxon: Try to keep it clean folks. I am not done with my growth spurt and am still a teenager. Hormones are gonna be the end of me some day at this rate.
Rachel: at least you don't have to worry about dealing with two little brothers now. I can't believe you made me a family, that's just rude to do without my knowledge or consent.
Jaxon: Well did you expect me to die because I had no one watching my back?
Rachel: No but...
Jaxon: 'sigh' look just be happy Ray, at least you didn't end up like them and nearly scrapped.
Rachel: looks at Jaxon with a somewhat sad look
Merc: Robotic head comes around the corner. "Someone talkin bout us?"
Jaxon: N... Where's your brother?
Merc: ..." Turns back and can be heard screaming to abort.
Jaxon: Chases after Merc and Green.
Rachel: giggles a little listening to them running and screaming.
Drak: stares at the exit "Oh jeez, well at least we have them here. They will answer any question they can folks so feel free to leave them in the comments. They'll get back to you as soon as they can.
Kate: so please leave questions or comments. Anything really to help us fix this. Till then-
Drak and Kate: Remember to keep the balance!
