Chapter 4: To the Wasteland

While driving though the city toward Jak's Outpost Talwyn gives Ratchet the lowdown on Capt. Gastonia Darkwater.

"Let me get this straight, this Capt. Darkwater is the brother the Darkwater that was killed by Slag years ago?" Ratchet asks for the third time.

"Yes Ratchet." Talwyn answers with a frown.

"Then why the hell is he after me I had nothing to do with that crap, I was only trying to find clues of Clank's whereabouts!" Ratchet shouts with his arms folded, drawing attention for people along the street.

"I already told you Angstrom was a pirate but Gastonia is a bounty hunter and his crew is made of assassins and mercenaries. He only works for hire which means that someone else wants you out of the picture! But the question now is who?" Talwyn explains again.

Ratchet thinks to himself, " I have no enemies left I think. Qwark and I squashed our problems long ago, Chairman Drek is dead and Dr. Nefarious lost his damn mind so who else could it be?"

After a few more minutes of driving Ratchet & Talwyn arrive at Jak's Outpost at the western edge of the city. As Talwyn drives up two large doors slide open to reveal Jak and Keira's Garage. Ratchet's eyes open wide in amazement.

"Holy Crap! Look at all these rides Jak has, It's the most beautiful sight I have even seen. Other than you baby hehe!" Ratchet says to Talwyn who is looking at him with one eyebrow raised.

Ratchet jumps from the Hover Car and runs around like a kid in a game store. Jak has all types of vehicles from a row of small Jet-boards to a huge truck with tires twice Ratchet's height. Ratchet drools as he approaches Jak's Red X Racer and a blue one parked next to it.

" Javelin and MidNite, beautiful aren't they?" A voice says from above.

Ratchet and Talwyn look up to see Jak, Daxter and Clank riding down a elevator. Jak walks over and stands beside Ratchet swinging two sets of keys on his fingers.

Here Ratchet are the keys to MidNite, I figure that you'll need a ride as long as your stuck here." Jak says as he tosses Ratchet the keys.

Ratchet's eyes gleam like a kid on Christmas morning at the very thought of driving that Racer.

"Better take care of her bro, like any good woman she is beautiful to look at but a hellcat to try to control! Oh yeah." Daxter says with a sly grin, loss in his own thoughts.

"Jak and I have already mapped out the best route to take to retrieve Aphelion." Clank explains as he hands Ratchet a map.

Ratchet stares at the group with a puzzled look on his face. "Why do we need a plan lets just go and get my ship already." Ratchet yells.

" You maybe brave but you know nothing about our Planet especially the Wastelands." Jak says bursting Ratchet's bubble.

"What are the Wastelands?" Ratchet asks.

"Hundreds of miles of pure hell. Sandstorms, quicksand, Dark Eco lakes, Metalheads, and gangs of Marauders are the norm out there." Jak Explains.

"Not a fun damn place to be unless you have a tough ride, a big gun, and big balls if you catch my drift." Daxter butts in, interrupting Jak.

Ratchets just looks over at Clank and smiles.

" Sounds like that place in right up our alley. Your talking to the guys that have faced Space Pirates, Reborn Cragmites, the entire Blarg Army, and that retard . So I'll wipe my butt with your Metalheads and Marauders." Ratchet boasts with confidence.

"This guy has balls, I may be able to use his help as long as he is here" Jak thinks to himself.

"So Ratchet lets take these Racers out for a spin and find your ship but lets just hope the Marauders haven't found it first or we will be in for a fight." Jak says as he and Daxter jump into the Javelin.

Ratchet and climbs into the driver's seat of the MidNite and Clank sits behind him at the turret controls. Ratchets looks around amazed at the powerful but simple design of the Racer.

" This is going to be sweet!" Ratchet yells as a second set of doors slide open facing the vast sea of sand and rocky hills that is the Wasteland.

Jak hits the gas and turbo leaving Ratchet in the dust.

"Come on Ratchet and Clank lets see if you guys can keep up." Jak yells back with a laugh.

Jak looks back but sees no sign of the MidNite. He shows down to give Ratchet a chance to catch up but only to look back and see calm horizon and no sign of Ratchet and Clank.

"Hey Jak maybe we should go back for those two slowpokes before a Metalhead makes a meal of them." Daxter says with a sarcastic look.

Just as Jak turns the Javelin around the roar of a engine could he heard in the distance, and then out of nowhere the MidNite launches from the top of a nearby hill. Ratchet is all smiles as he pops a wheelie during the MidNite's landing. Jak could only laugh when Ratchet parks beside him with load of Metalhead jewels in his Racer.

"Sorry for keeping you guys waiting but we saw a group of those Metalhead things and decided I needed some driving practice." Ratchet says as Clank tosses the load of jewels to Daxter, who sticks up his nose.

"Jealous?" Clank asks Daxter.

"Of you tin man? That's a good one, I'd rather sniff Krew's dirty underwear before I even think about..." Daxter responds before Jak shuts him up.

"We don't have time for this lets just find the ship and get back home before dusk. Some extremely rough creatures stir at night around here." Jak warns.

After a few hours of driving the crew arrives at Aphelion's crash site but only to find small bits of the ship scattered here and there.

"Son of a... ! Where's my ship! " Ratchet growned at the top of his lungs.

"Looks like some Marauders got here before us, too bad buddies we might as well head back home." Daxter says nervously pointing behind his back the way they came.

"No way Dax I'm going to find my ship, so where can I find these Punk-ass Marauders? " Ratchet asks griping his Omniwrench .

"Well since we're in the North Desert their closest campsite will be at the Grand Lake" Jak answers.

"You mean we are going to just barge into a Marauder Camp, that's a death wish I hope you guys know! " Daxter butts in.

" Hell yeah that's where we are going." Ratchet speaks in soft voice before slamming his wrench into a nearby boulder cracking it in half.

Clank just gives a worried smile, " Well you hear the man, lets get going."

Several Light years away on Planet Kerwan …

" Sorry Capt. But the Lombax isn't here" Lt. Torch announces to Capt. Darkwater while he and Lt. Scorch ransack Ratchet's Apartment in Metropolis.

" Since he isn't here burn the place to the ground so he won't have a home to return to." the Capt. Ordered.

With huge flamethrowers several of Darkwater's robotic crew members set aflame every single bit of Ratchet's belongings, everything except a small photo album.

Gastonia flipped through the book eyed with a evil grin pictures of Ratchet, Clank, Talwyn, Sasha, Pres. Qwark, Skids, Angela Cross, Big Al, Cronk & Zephyr, and a one last picture folded around a Gold Pocket Watch.

"Well well well, it seems that our little furry target is more valuable than we think. Change of plans crew lets pay President Qwark a little visit! " Darkwater orders as he walks from the burnt remains of Ratchet's home, his tatured cape blowning in the wind.