-Chapter Seven: Home Sweet Home-
Last night was a hard one. Once they got home, Ratchet had to explain everything to Qwark, Cronk and Zephyr. They had a bit of a hard time believing him at first, and it took some time to warm up to the idea that they were dealing with an interdimensional threat. Though it hadn't taken too much convincing; it wasn't the first time they'd ever dealt with dimensional travel.
Before Ratchet could even begin explaining what had happened, Jens had excitedly dashed up to the two warbots, tugging at them and analyzing them with thorough curiosity. She's spouted about how excited she was to see such high tech robots and how she couldn't believe they were so common, confusing the subjects of discussion.
"What is she talkin' about? We're over one hundred and seventy years old, we're completely outdated!" Zephyr replied.
Cronk looked over to his partner. "Yeah, but I'm the only one that's still workin'!"
What she did was uncalled for; sneaking into Aphelion as they were in battle and acting like it was no big deal. It was frustrating to say the least. She seemed completely unaware that what she had done was wrong. As much as Jens wanted to help; they knew they shouldn't reward her. But, she was already here and it was too dangerous to open a wormhole to send her back. Besides, now that Lania knew of their existence it was only a matter of time before she attacked and they could use whatever help they were offered.
And then there was the matter of their other uninvited house guest. What were they going to do with Nefarious? He was currently recovering from the damage Vorselon caused to his chest, a gesture he definitely wouldn't show gratitude for. Tension was high with him around but he was the least of their problems...
"So, erm, why is he here again?" Qwark asked, gesturing to the where Doctor Nefarious was visible through the window to the next room.
"I already explained it Qwark. Trust me, bringing him here wasn't exactly my first choice." Ratchet then eyed over to the holoscreen, watching the news:
'... and in other news, criminal mastermind Doctor Nefarious has still not been found since his escape from the Equilibrium Mental Institution over a week ago. He is wanted for multiple crimes committed in both the Polaris and Solana galaxies. The search for Nefarious has spanned for a week in a half and still there has been no sighting of him despite the combined tireless efforts of the Polaris Defense Force, Solana's Galactic Rangers, and even this small, cute search puppy, who we'll be sitting down with for an interview in a minute.
Authorities warn all of the populace to keep an eye out and report any signs of the doctor, but stress to not approach him, as he is heavily armed and highly dangerous…'
"…And it doesn't seem like we'll be getting rid of him soon," Ratchet muttered as he fumbled for the remote.
"But he's so mean!" Qwark protested. "You should have heard the way he was talking to Cronk and Zephyr yesterday when they went to help buff out that hole in his chest!"
Ratchet didn't need Qwark to remind him of the screaming match between the robots. He and Clank had front row seats to the whole thing...
"Now you don't try any funny business, you whippersnapper!" Cronk had demanded.
"In our day we took down Craggymites by the dozen! We might be old, but we've still the strength to hold you down if need be!"
"Of course you do, you morons! I can't even get up! You still haven't connected the servos in my abdomen, so my legs are useless."
"That's right!" Zephyr agreed with the villain.
"Once I'm repaired I'll be a right threat. You're forgetting who you're talking down to! I had half the Breegus Nebula under my control! You think I'm afraid of a pair of blundering warbots when I used to have the entire criminal enterprise of the most difficult to penetrate black market system under my thumb?" Nefarious let out a scoff. "I had eyes and ears every where. I could easily regain control of the system. I'm not intimidated by a pair of warbots so rusted and useless they should have been recycled for scrap!"
"Well you'd better hope there rusted, useless warbots don't drop you off to the Defense Force before you're up and running," Cronk threatened with a jab at the makeshift plate Nefarious had made to cover his exposed torso.
"You dare touch me!"
Ratchet and Clank hadn't allowed to arguing to escalate any further. Ratchet had rushed the pair of warbots out of the room and Clank had worked on calming Nefarious down.
It was true that Nefarious would be a force to be reckoned with once he was operational again. The question was if they could redirect that force, if temporarily.
Ratchet and Qwark heard the door slide open as Talwyn walked across the room and pulled out a chair from the table the other two were sitting at.
"So, how's our guest holding up?" Ratchet asked.
"He's still recovering, but he's functional if that's what you're asking," Talwyn explained. "I'm calling the Defense Force tonight. I want him out of here. We've done more than our fair share for him."
Ratchet frowned and started to retort, "Tal-"
"Don't, Ratchet. I'm not harbouring a known fugitive in my home! He's a wanted criminal who's done terrible things to this galaxy and to you, Clank, and Qwark personally. You can't ask me to forgive that."
"I hear you, but don't call the Defense Force yet."
Talwyn let out a frustrated huff. "I figured you'd be happy to be rid of him. Can't see what information you think you can get out of him, but I'll give you until tomorrow. I'm not waiting for him to be recovered enough to put up a fight with the authorities when they get here."
"I'm going to go talk to him." Ratchet turned to Captain Qwark and asked, "You coming?"
Talwyn was still frowning as she insisted, "don't tell him I'm contacting the authorities. I won't forgive myself if he runs off."
Ratchet gave a disheartened nod, shrugging away his bubbling feelings of guilt as he and Qwark headed towards the fishing hole...
Ratchet and Qwark easily spotted Cronk and Zephyr chatting aimlessly with one another while Nefarious sat down on the ground near the water, visibly trying to keep his temper under control.
"Are you quite done hovering over me? I'm not a child!"
"No, you're a wanted criminal," Zephyr responded, "Miss Apogee told us to keep an eye on you."
He growled. "Must…resist…urge to kill…must resist." Nefarious then shifted his pupils over to the door as it heavily slammed shut. His eye twitched as he realized who just walked into the room. "Just my luck…"
Ratchet just stared at him, not at all thrilled himself while Qwark failed miserably to hide his towering form behind the Lombax.
Just a quick look at the robot and it seemed as though nothing had happened. Outside of patching his hole up, every bit of his body looked like new. His pipes were back in place and the dents were no more. Heck, it even looked like he got himself a new coat of paint.
"Well, good to see you're feeling better," Ratchet replied before looking over at the two warbots, "You mind giving us time alone? We'll keep an eye on him."
"Alright, but we'll be right outside if things get out of hand." Cronk and Zephyr headed to the door and left the room, leaving the two to talk.
Nefarious just snarled as he turned to glare at the opposite door. Then it opened up to reveal Clank. "Just can't catch a break, can I?" He got up, and started to walk away.
"Nefarious? You're in a space station surrounded by asteroids, where do you plan on going?"
"Still doesn't mean I can't move to another room. I'd like my privacy, if you don't mind."
"Oh come on, Herschel," Qwark ran up putting his arm around his shoulders blocking any escape route, "You can always talk to me! With a dome bigger than my chin, that practically makes us family! What's on your mind? Stress? Anger? World Dominationally frustrated? Lemme just find a pen and notebook and we'll begin today's session!"
Ratchet then started to snicker. "Wait? Your real name is Herschel?" Clank gave a cheesy chuckle as well.
"Shut up, no one is supposed to know that! And I hate that name…" Nefarious then eyed Qwark, who still had his arm around him. "And will you let go of me, you moron!"
Qwark took a huge step away as he released the robot.
"...At least it isn't as bad as Tachyon's." Ratchet said to himself.
"Yeah, well your name isn't exactly John Smith either, rodent."
Ratchet brushed the insult aside."Look, Nefarious, we need your-"
"Yes, my help! You always need my help nowadays, don't you? It's sure not because you think I'm indebted to you again. Because you certainly can't think of any other reason for me to help you."
"Yeah, but neither you nor I would still be here if you hadn't chipped in."
"Well I wouldn't have to chip in if you just left me alone to rule the universe!" Nefarious fell down onto the ground and groaned. "Ever since that station blew up, I haven't been feeling the same. My weapons aren't as effective, I can't activate my annihilator blades, and my arm keeps falling out!" He grabbed his arm expecting it to pop out, but this time it remained in place.
"Listen, Nefarious, Clank and I can usually just figure stuff out. It's normally just 'I'll destroy the universe!' or 'I'll suck up the sun's energy!', but this is different, very different. We're talking about an interdimensional scheme with an end plan we don't have any clue of."
"So what do you need me for, then?" Nefarious asked, still not convinced, "I'm very sure you'll figure it out with or without me."
"Extra hands, mainly. You're extremely smart. You built a machine that turns organics into robots, and a space station with a giant laser that can destroy even the largest of asteroids. Not to mention that even with your weapons not working properly, you are still powerful enough to put up a fight."
"So I fit the bill? Well, sorry to disappoint you; but I think my generosity is coming to an end. So no matter what you say, I-"
"So you think that whoever is behind this will just let you go on with your plans? That they'll just let you rule this universe when they're planning interdimensional conquest?"
That gave him pause. Nefarious couldn't think of an answer.
"Doctor Nefarious," Clank butted, "this villain is the biggest threat to our universe, and indeed others, since the Cragmites. They already have a large empire in another dimension, and I believe that they will target this one next. Our lives, and yours, are in danger unless we do something now."
The doctor felt less abrasive towards them, but still was not convinced. "And so what if I help you save the day? I'm still left with nothing at the end."
"Of course you expect something." Ratchet then sighed. "Well, I suppose I could give you a year or two to rebuild your side of things. Granted, it'll be hard with the PDF, but you seem to have a talent for disappearing. Qwark is also running for president. May not mean anything, but if he gets elected, I'm sure he can pull some strings."
"Perks of the job, my lombax friend," Qwark added.
Nefarious scratched his forehead, thinking. "...I'll sleep on it…"
"That and the Galactic Authorities are looking for you, and it's kinda our job to help them find you so..."
"What?!" The scientist's tone become harsh again thanks to Ratchet's rebuttal, "Blackmail?!"
"I didn't say that; just bring up a point. We'll give you time…"
The three left the room, leaving only Nefarious to ponder over their offer…
"I can't believe you even offered such a thing!" Talwyn continued to rant on, still baffled by Ratchet's idea, "Are you forgetting who Nefarious is?!"
"I'm very aware, Tal."
"And yet you still-Gah!" She started to pull at her hair in frustration. "Ok, but let's say he decides to agree to your terms? Are you really just gonna let him go after this is done?"
"Weren't we gonna all go our own ways after we returned home regardless? Besides, it's not like he's going to say-"
The sound of the door opening caused them to turn their attention Nefarious, looking like he was covered by a storm cloud yet Ratchet picked up a tinge of calmness as well.
"Speaking of the devil; I'm guessing you made up your mind by now?" Ratchet was about to get up from his seat, expecting the worst and not bothering to even look over to him, "Well, I guess we'll be-"
"I'll do it."
"Huh?" The lombax turned back around, surprised from the answer. "Wait? Did you just say-"
"Yes! I said I'll do it! Did you not hear me?!" Nefarious crossed his arms, mumbling.
"Well, I guess I didn't actually expect you to take my proposition seriously."
"In all honesty, I didn't actually, but I quickly realized that if we let this evil... whoever it is go ahead with their plans, there will be absolutely no chance for me to regain my power and destroy you. You're my enemies, not theirs and killing you should be my prize, when the time comes." Nefarious walked to up to Ratchet. "So for now, we'll work together. But, I expect you to stay true to your word after all of this."
"Oh yeah," Talwyn rebutted as she turned over to Ratchet, "Stay true to letting a criminal mastermind walk out of here like he isn't a threat!"
"Word gets around here quick it seems…"
Ratchet just sighed, "Yeah, I know, not the wisest decision I made today but right now Nefarious is the least of our problems. Can you two try to get along for the time being?"
"As long as he behaves himself," The girl stared Nefarious down.
"Yeah, yeah, I'll behave myself. I'll be a good boy for Miss Apogee here."
"Not to ruin a perfectly good truce and all, but do we really expect him to play along when he's out on the field Ratchet? You're being very liberal with him to begin with."
"Don't worry, he'll be working at the station the whole time."
"Oh," Nefarious was taken by surprise from Ratchet's reply, "Well, so much for me gearing up. But if that's the case, what am I needed for?"
"Recon. You're good at hacking into things, right? Think you can put those skills to good use on radio waves, communications, news tablets, and newspapers? Anything to really help us."
The robot couldn't help but let out a snicker. "So, basically, you want me to spy on people? I'm surprised you'd suggest such a thing, it isn't exactly legal. Oh Well, not as exciting, but I used to hack into Solana and Polaris communiqués," He cracked his knuckles as he bragged on, "Should be a cinch."
"Great. Talwyn will get you set up on her computer's mainframe." Talwyn offered Ratchet a baffled look, surprised to be volunteered, but she didn't react with much more than a glare and her hands secured firmly on her hips.
"Sure thing. And what will the rest of you be doing? I don't expect to be the one doing all the work, am I?"
"...We don't have a gameplan yet. But that's where you come in. Cronk and Zephyr mentioned they'll be doing some scouting in the area as well."
"You know you sitting around waiting for something to pop up isn't a smart strategy either?"
"Never said it was. Regardless though," Ratchet held out his hand, "Welcome to the team."
Nefarious just stared at the lombax with nothing but disgust at the very idea he expected some sort of gesture. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves here. This is a mutual beneficial relationship, nothing more."
The lombax lowered his arm in disappointment; couldn't say he wasn't surprised. "Anyways, is there anything else you need? Ya know, resources, tools, anything as long as it doesn't involve you blowing the station up."
"Oh, you're hysterical. But no, not really. An extra hand may not hurt though, I'm used to having Lawrence pick up the weight if need be."
"Oh, oh!" Qwark jumped off the couch raising his hand, "I'll hel-"
"No." Nefarious put it bluntly.
"...oh, ok…" Qwark slowly walked out the door in disappointment.
"I mean, Clank and I could help a bit but we'll most likely be out and about. But I'm sure Tal would be-"
"Oh," Talwyn got up from her chair and headed for the door, "I'll go set up that thing now. Don't want to waste anymore time…"
Ratchet watched her. "Ok, I guess not, but I'm sure-"
"Oh,would you look at the time," Zephyr looked down at his wrist pretending he was wearing a watch, "It's time to change my oil. I should get to it."
"And I have to help," Cronk followed his comrade, "Knowing him, he'll make a mess…"
As they left, Jens and Clank entered the room. "Where's everyone goin'?" The young girl asked.
"Ratchet, Doctor, have you two discussed-"
"Yeah Clank, he agreed to help us," Ratchet saw Jens and gave her a smile. "Hey Jens, you said you wanted to help too, right?"
The girl immediately perked up. "Absolutely! What's up? Are we bein' invaded? Do you need me to man the station while y'all track the baddies? I'm ready fer anythin'!"
"You can help Nefarious, he said he could use an extra hand."
Jens' ears flopped down, her disappointment evident. "What?"
"Pff," Nefarious let out a snort, "I'd rather be stuck with Qwark."
"Hey, if that's the case," Ratchet interrupted, "I'll go get h-"
"No!" The mad robot waved his hands all around until he calmed himself down. He cleared his throat. "I mean, no, no she'll do."
"Y'all gotta be kiddin' me? You're askin' me to help the walkin' radio?"
"You said you wanted to help, right?"
"Yeah, but…" Jens sighed before looking back at the lombax. "Alright, I won't argue. Still…"
"Oh stop your complaining brat, I'm not thrilled about being here either. You don't see me whining. Now, go fetch me some oils. I'll need pristine fingers if I want to get that info as quickly as possible."
"Ratchet asked me to help, not be your slave."
"Yeah, well, Ratchet also asked me to help, by any means necessary. And the means that I find necessary might include a game of catch with shockwave bombs and you on the receiving end…"
Her eyes looked as if they were about to pop out of her head. "I'll go grab those oils," and she went darting out the door. Both Ratchet and Clank glared at Nefarious over his remark. He sighed.
"Relax, I'm not gonna kill her, your ears can stop twitching…"
"Still wouldn't hurt you to be nice, just saying. We're all on the same side, Herschel."
"...You're not going to let that slide are you?"
"Nope, not in the slightest. Anyways, Clank and I are going to get something to eat. Talwyn should have everything set up by tomorrow."
"Splendid."
"Do you think we should check on Jens first though?" Clank mentioned, "She seemed frighten."
"Pff, she's fine."
There was a crash heard from the broom closet next door. "No I'm not!" Jens shouted in distress.
Ratchet sighed. "I'll meet you outside Clank. Make sure Jens doesn't hurt herself."
Clank gave a little nod and then ran out to help Jens. Ratchet headed to the door, but before he could leave...
"Ratchet?"
The lombax turned back over to Nefarious. "Yeah?"
"Erm…um, I just want to say," The robot tried his hardest to make out his words as he shuddered over them. "Th-th- tha…"
Ratchet just raised an eyebrow.
"…tha-tha-thank- " He then took a breather and finally let it all out, "...Thank you, for saving my life back there. If it was anyone else, I'm sure they'd leave me to rot..."
Ratchet stared at him, puzzled. Nefarious was thanking him for saving his behind? That's something not seen every day. "You're welcome…" He said still holding the same expression as he was about to walk out.
"But," The mad robot's tone took a harsh shift as he strolled over to the Lombax, "I just want to make one thing clear. This alliance? It means nothing when this is over. Once this enemy is defeated, I'll be on your tail so I can rip it off and strangle you with it." Nefarious leaned forward. "Do I make myself clear?"
'So much for that thank you.' Ratchet put on a scowl, not expecting anything less from him. "Crystal..."
"Good."
"Anything else?"
"No, that's all."
Nefarious watched the other leave. He sighed, sitting down on a sofa in the room. "How do I always get in these messes…?"
"Wretched space rat! Your quest is far from over! For you see, the most horrifying truth has yet to be revealed! My dear Lombax, I am your father...'s accountant! Did that do it?! Did that sufficiently blow your mind?! Let that just roll around for a bit. Ahh, yes. Now, come! Find me in the Corvus Sector, and let us end what we began! Vorselon out!"
Vorselon shut off his communicator, feeling very pleased with himself.
"Ahh, that felt good. Trooper! Do you think he was terrified?"
*HE WILL BE CALLING HIS MOMMY ANY SECOND NOW, SIR*
"Haha! Excellent! He doesn't even have a mommy anymore, now does he?!"
*EXCELLENT JOKE SIR. DO YOU WANT TO GO HAVE SOME PIE?*
"No, I do not want some pie, I'm allergic to cream!"
*...PERHAPS YOU WANT TO TAKE-IN A HOLO-FILM?*
"...No."
Vorselon looked over to his new mech-suit, and he got quite excited. It was a prototype, but it was the most heavily armored suit in the entire galaxy. The thought of crushing the Lombax's head with all twelve of its leg tentacles made him squeal in glee.
"I can't wait for that rat to come," His voice held a dark tone as he was put his claws together, finding delight from the thought of what he would do to the Lombax.
*YES SIR, I AM SURE. DO YOU WANT TO PLAY A GAME OF CARDS AS YOU WAIT?*
Vorselon turned to face his trooper. "I will surely win against such a lowly trooper such as yourself!"
*I DO NOT THINK SO, YOU HAVE NEVER PLAYED A GAME OF-"
The Terraklon quickly charged up his claws and pointed them at the trooper. "I will win, won't I?"
*ER, YES SIR, OF COURSE, YOU ARE UNDEFEATED, HOW COULD I HOPE TO WIN AGAINST SUCH TALENT?!*
"Much better..." Vorselon grinned, not noticing he was holding his cards backwards as the game began…
A few good hours went by as they played Egyptian Rat. It wasn't enough to relieve the boredom however, as the Terraklon started to lose his patience…
"Oh, in the name of Orvus, where is he?!"
*I AM SURE HE WILL COME SOON, SIR*
"It has been seven hours!" Vorselon snarled as he crossed his arms. "And I am getting quite bored…"
The trooper looked at both of their piles, seeing that his opponent had far less cards than he did. Nearly the whole deck was in the robot's possession with the exception of three cards. Once he started to notice his boss' hand getting smaller, he made very sure to let him smack down before he did when there were tons of chances of him stealing the win. However, after playing so long, it was only a matter of time til luck changed the game.
That, and Vorselon already slammed down so hard that he broke the poor thing's arm.
*UM, ERM…*
The trooper then saw a flash of light appear behind Vorselon without him noticing, and a small, fat looking robot stood in its wake. This quickly changed the game as the Terraklon flipped down his last card and seeing it was a double...
The trooper slammed his claw down before his opponent could get the chance and looked up with a smug glare.
*YOU LOSE*
Vorselon snarled, not taking his defeat lightly as he slammed the trooper's head right onto the table, snapping it in half in the progress.
*OW, THAT HURT!*
Sparks were flying out of the robot's now cracked head and before it could get back up, the Terraklon lifted him up by the claws. "How dare you win against me! Do you know who you are-?"
Before he could let the rest of the words out of his mouth, he felt something tapping the back of his tank. He turned inside his dome, not even bothering to rotate his robot body, but jumped in fear as he saw the robot pointing a gun at him.
"La-Lawrence?" He gasped.
"Yes, it is I."
"W- What are you doing here?" Vorselon asked as the trooper got back up and clinged to Lawrence like a child, "I thought Nefarious was dead."
"Oh, he is dead my friend. However, he has left a lot of things for me to clean up now, so I am resolving all potential issues that may hinder me."
"Hinder you in what?"
"My band, of course. Anyway, I do apologize for the inconvenience, Mr. Vorselon, but I have to confiscate these robots from you and return them to the seller."
"What?! But they're my troops! You can't just take them from me!"
"On the contrary, they are, or should I say, were, Nefarious' troops. His problems passed down to me, and I don't need ten thousand death bots at my beck and call. Surely you understand that…"
"Even if you don't need them, I surely do!"
"I don't believe your name was on the lease when we signed."
"Then transfer the rights to me!!"
"Do you think having a little temper tantrum is going to help you get your way? Tisk, tisk, Mr. Vorselon, I expected better from someone of your," He cleared his throat, "Variety, to say the least. Though, speaking of contracts," Lawrence leant his head in closer to Vorselon, this time with a sinister tone. "I don't have the need for a mercenary, either."
"Y-... you're firing me?"
"Yes, Mr. Vorselon, I'm afraid our business has concluded. If you need referrals however, I'm sure the Doctor had a list of contacts lying around somewhere. I'll forward it to your holomail. I recommend working on those matters of yours though. For professionalism's sake and what not."
Lawrence started to walk away, but then stopped.
"Oh wait; I do in fact have one need for these robots." He got out a communicator from within his suit. "Remove this Terraklon, or what's left of him anyway. Does anybody know what the first planet is on our way to your manufacturer?"
*PLANET ZAURIK, SIR*
"Ahh, that'll be a good spot."
A mass of robots then burst into the door. Vorselon attempted to retaliate, but the force of his own troops quickly overwhelmed him. And with a simple pop later, he was as threatening as a fish at the pet store.
"You can't do this to me! I am Lord Vorselon, the greatest Terraklon ever to roam the galaxy! Even the Drophyds tremble before me if I so much as sneeze in the direction of their planet!"
"Well," Lawrence said, "I doubt they'll find you very threatening now. A shame, really, as their homeworld, is the planet we are headed to."
A feeling of pure fear and embarrassment crossed Vorselon's fate. "B-but what about my suit, I need that! That's like taking Slag's old peg-leg!"
"Well, I suppose I could sell it. Or better yet, use it as a wicked costume for my next show. Oh yes, I think it'll go down well." The butler-bot took a quick scan of his surroundings, "Doubt you'll have use for this as well. I'm sure the Vullards would pay good bolts for a warship of this size."
"Yo-you are taking my ship too?" The Terraklon's voice cracked.
"Now that you mention it, that would be a wise idea. Rent in Axiom City isn't cheap you know. Anyways, It appears I may have overstayed my welcome. I have plenty of things to do and I do not wish to waste anymore time. Do take care, Mr. Vorselon. Ta-ta."
And with that, Lawrence zapped away back to wherever he came from. Vorselon started to shiver, as he felt sicker for what they were about to do to him…
On Zaurilk…
Vorselon pouted at the sense of disbelief (and boredom) as the rain poured down on his tank, watching every drop fall. Lawrence's troops took away his jet pack so any way to flee was out of the question. He heard snickering above as he looked up.
"HA," A Drophyd pointed down to the head. Vorselon saw a pair of them standing above him, still wearing the suits that Tachyon gave them when they were under his command. Vorselon snarled as the Drophyd continued, "Well, well, look who's back?! I thought you were still waiting for an invitation. Don't you know that it's rude to come unannounced?"
"You indecorous creature," The Terraklon yelled, "Once I get out of this mess, you will regret that you ever messed with Lord Vorselon!"
"Yeah?" The other Drophyd said, "Well, at least we stillhave our limbs!"
Both of them burst out laughing "Good one, Steve!" They gave each other a high five as they walked off, still humored.
"Err," Vorselon could do nothing more but sigh as he just stared down at the dirt below him. However, his ears caught a loud bang and he shifted his eye the other way, widening from what he saw.
Right before his eye, he saw a wormhole appear as two robotic troops with a knight looking shell came right out of it, waving their guns around, seeing if the coast was clear. One waved its hand giving the ok.
Following after came another trooper, followed by a woman who held an umbrella to cover herself from the downpour.
"Such a disgusting place..."
With a good scan and a few steps in, she pushed her tentacle hair out of her face before putting her hand on her hip.
"Hmph, this isn't right. Trooper!"
"Yes my lady!" He replied, saluting her.
"Are you sure we're in the right location? We're literally on top of the Terraklon's co-ordinates, and yet I don't see him."
"That's because you're standing on his enclosure!" Vorselon said from under her foot, as the woman just glared down.
"Oh, of course." A short pause quickly followed, and then she freaked out. "AH! What is that?!" She leant down to look at the helpless creature and rolled her eyes. "Urgh, it's just a head in a tank." She took pause, noting her calm despite the strangeness of the situation.. "It's a head in a tank." Then a sigh. "I've seen it all at this point."
"This head was once the greatest Terraklon in the galaxy!"
"Oh really? And - what is your name?"
"Lord Vorselon! The most feared mercenary ever to cross the galaxy, and let people live to tell about it!"
She just eyed him, giving a few blinks before she started to snicker. Her amusement grew stronger as she laughed louder with her troops doing the same. And of course, he wasn't at all happy about it.
"May I ask what is so funny?"
The woman glared down at him, still having a good laugh. "You're Vorselon? I don't know…" She took out a piece of paper and read over it. "…you look much taller on your business card."
"Hmph!" Vorselon said, offended.
She looked down at him again, still holding a smile. "Why are you on Zaurik, of all places?"
"I was betrayed and backstabbed by the most nefarious villain in the universe! ...Or, at least, his butler, anyway..."
She cracked up once more as she leaned down again, tapping his tank in mockery. "Wow, the greatest ever, huh?"
"Well, you try and face ten thousand of your own troops and see how you like it!"
She took on a more serious, almost understanding tone. "I see. Well then, if you put it that way, I suppose I understand." Still kneeling on the ground, her mind told her she was forgetting about something.
"I was the best assassin in the universe, but I'm helpless without a body."
"Is that what your tank connects to?"
"Yes. My old suit could power entire cities with the electricity it could create!"
"I see," Looking back to her troops, who were arguing about trivial matters, she realized what she forgot to do.
"Oh," She spoke, "How rude of me, let me introduce myself. My name is Empress Lania of the Neoprine Empire. I've come to you as I am in wanting use of your services…"
"Well, you didn't exactly treat me like you needed my services, you blue-tentacle harlot!"
That comment would have caused her to throw that tank of his into a wall, but she wasn't going to let a little slur get to her over the situation at hand.
"You yourself could be a little more polite when a client makes you an offer, instead of insulting them." Lania leant closer towards Vorselon. "But, I think on that basis, we may work well together." she smiled.
Vorselon got a glint in his eye. With Nefarious, he always felt that he was being evil to him, not with him. But this Lania person felt different. The fact that he thought her as pretty attractive helped as well, something he couldn't say for his last client.
But he wasn't going to shove aside those insults she threw at him. He shook his head, getting his mind back together. "Hmph, tell me why I should work for you then? You haven't really given a sales pitch outside of insulting me."
"Well," Lania went over the details, "The pay will be fit to your liking, we can give you a place to stay if needed, and seeing your, erm, position, I think that could be arranged easily. And some other things do come with the plan."
"Still not interested."
"Well, in tha-"
"My lady," one of the troopers spoke out as Lania turned right around to face him, "I apologize for bugging you, but... I don't think this floating gremlin head would be the right person for the job."
With a peeved glare, she gave her subordinate a hard slap across the face, knocking him off his feet. "How dare you speak over me!" Lania put her boot heel on his back, as he started to shiver.
All Vorselon could do was watch as she berated her henchman, and for some odd reason, couldn't let his eye off her.
"I- I-I'm sorry, my lady, bu-but…?"
"But what?"
"I was just sayin-"
"Don't you ever question my judgment again, I know a mercenary when I see one! Besides," Lania once again took out the piece of paper, this time holding a calmer tone, "It says he's got a five star rating on his business card, I'm no fool."
"Sure it isn't five out ten?" A hard kick followed right after, as the soldier cried out in pain. Lania wasn't at all taking it well, causing her to stomp on him as he screamed.
"You're really testing me, you know that?"
"Lania, I-I'm sorry, I was just-"
Before he could even finish, Lania gave him another hard kick, causing him to cough up a bit of oil.
Vorselon just glared with his mouth wide open, letting out a small sniff. "So- such evil, such beautiful, beautiful evil..."
She glared back down to the trooper, taking out her pistol. The sight of this caused him to shiver and shut his eyes. Lania pulled the trigger and…
Bang!
The busted up trooper opened them again. He noticed the laser's smoke an inch from him before looking back up. Lania still held a displeased mug but her features finally relaxed as she put her weapon away.
"Never question my orders again, is that understood?"
"...e-yes my lady, it'll never happen again."
"And I'm sure no one has anything else they would like the share, do they?"
The other two soldiers were holding on to each other. "Ne-no my lady," One said. "I think we're good."
"Good, keep it that way." Lania looked back at the other. "Get back on your feet soldier, slowly if you must." She then put on a smile and returned her focus back over to the Terraklon. "Well, as I was saying, in-"
"U-um-um-u…" Drool would have been visible from Vorselon's mouth if it were not the fact he was stuck in a tank full of ectowater, as he remained speechless…
Lania just questioned Vorselon's expression, as she couldn't do anything else but just stare. "What's wrong with you?"
"What?!" He shook his head again, returning to reality, "Erm, sorry about that." He gave a good look around in embarrassment.
"Well, anyways," Lania spoke once more, as she started to walk the other way, "Since you don't seem interested in the job, I guess we should be on our way."
"Wait!" Vorselon shouted in an attempt to have her stay as she was about to step into the wormhole. "I myself am not sure if I should offer my services to you, but, seeing my, erm, current condition, well…" He stared back down to the ground, as the reminder of him still lacking a body made him feel slightly ill.
"Did you not say that your tank can connect to a suit?"
"Yes, that is correct."
"Hmm," Lania pondered to herself in thought before looking back at him. "Well, perhaps we can give you a new mechanical body? It wouldn't be hard to do; I have a person for the job."
"Yes, yes please! Give me the best suit you have and I promise I will do anything you ask!"
"Well then, we have a deal. And of course, the plan offered is still valid." Lania picked him up, turning back at her troops. "Ok men, let us head out!" She then realized her offending pun. "My apologies, Vorselon."
"Um, Miss Lania?"
"Yes?"
"Well, if you don't mind, I have one little favor to ask…"
She raised an eyebrow, all ears. "And what would that be…?"
"AH, oh my god it burns!"
"Oh, what are you doing?! That doesn't belong there! AHHHHH!"
The screams of the Drophyds that picked on the Terraklon earlier could be heard in the background. Vorselon watched as Lania's soldiers caused pain to the fish. What a pleasant sound to his ears it was. All Vorselon could do was smile from it as he looked up at Lania, who glared at her troops as she commanded them to finish the job.
He blushed while her gaze was still averted. He felt quite glad he took the offer…
"Mr. Vorselon?"
"Ah!" Flint turned right around, taking eye of the small blaargian girl as he was brought back to reality. "What is it, you brat?!"
Murka shoved aside his comment, giving a sigh. "Sorry to disturb you from your day dreaming, Mr. Vorselon, but Empress Lania would like to have a word with you…"
After hearing that name, he gulped, knowing what was to follow once he got to the throne room…
Vorselon followed the child as they walked through the hallways, finally leading to a dead end as they both entered the throne room. The first thing to catch his eye was Lania, sitting down on her chair as she watched the two come in. Murka came to a stop, and kneed respectfully as she greeted her.
"I'm sorry about the wait, my lady."
Lania gave the girl a cheerful smile. "Thank you dear. Please leave us."
And with that, Murka left the room, Vorselon's eye tracking her until she was out of sight. He looked back up to Lania as her smirk changed to an irate frown. She tapped her fingers on one side of her arm rest, while the other she leaned her elbow, resting her face on her fist.
The Terraklon was frightened to even say the littlest of words. He knew what he had coming, and he was nervous he was going to anger her more than she already was.
"Do you know how I feel right now?" she asked, calmly with the tinge of frustration.
Vorselon was still too afraid to answer. "Um, er, well, ah..."
"Infuriated, that's what!" Lania snapped, slamming her fists onto the table right next to her, as the wine from her glass reached the tip of the rim. "I'm paying top dollar for your services, but all you've done is piss around following the Lombax and getting your bucket kicked!"
'I-it's a tank, actually.' Vorselon thought.
"Why do you think I've hired you?" she asked sternly
"T-to aid in your services?"
"Among other things, yes." She stood up, putting her hands behind her back. "I hired you because we needed an agent who knew that sector of the universe and to retrieve The Core, notably from Torren IV. Predictably, it wasn't there, but you made possibly the worst mistake in your career."
"I couldn't help it! My suit malfunctioned because it got damaged in combat!"
"And you didn't even think of putting up any shields?! Or putting up a good fight, even? Your damaged suit then warped those nuisances to a random dimension. But not any dimension, no no, one which I have recently occupied!
"And to make matters worse, they've befriended one of the locals and taken her with them! How?! Because they stole our outdated Dimensional travel schematics and high-tailed back to their original dimension and lost us! You were supposed to kill them before they could leave and blow our cover, but nooo, you failed in that." She let of a snort. "Perhaps it was five out of ten."
Vorselon had shivered deep to the bottom of his tank, as Lania put her hand on her forehead in annoyance. "I hope they don't have a track record of heroics, that's all I need."
"I-I hear the Lombax and his accomplice have a bit of a reputation..." Vorselon piped, recalling the past foes he had defeated.
Lania took a deep breath at this news. She then looked down over at Vorselon, who was whimpering from all the yelling and still shivering in his tank. She sighed. "Flint, don't. I would be yelling at anyone if they screwed up, and you aren't an exception to this."
"So you aren't mad at me?!"
"Of course I am, you idiot!"
Flint then went back down to the bottom of his tank. However, he composed himself quickly. "I-is my next task to kill them, my lady?"
"No, I have someone else for the job."
"What?!" Vorselon jumped in his tank, almost cracking his head on the top of it. "I'm not doing it?!"
"I'm relieving you from your duties, for now, at least."
"But I won't fail you, my lady, I promise!" Vorselon was pleading in front of her.
"I've heard that before." Lania snapped her fingers and two troopers walked in. "Send in Thanatos."
"Than-Thanatos?"
The door slammed open as Vorselon turned around. Coming from the other side of the room was a tall, bulky man with a devilish appearance. His back was curved from the weight of his arms. He moved his left mechanical arm as he took out the cigar from his mouth, blowing smoke. He looked his way before turning his yellow glowing eyes to Lania.
"You called, my lady?"
Vorselon peered up at the man, turned his gaze to Lania, who was glaring daggers at the carpet and then back to the newcomer to see he had thrown his smoke on the floor and was stepping on it to put it out. "W-who's he?!"
The other man looked down at him. "Who's the fish?"
"Who are you calling a-!"
"Flint!" Lania shouted before he could start any more trouble, as Vorselon nodded and remained quiet. All the while the man just kept staring down at him.
Minding his temper, Vorselon repeated, "Who is he?"
"Oh," She gave out a sigh, "You two never met before. Flint, this is Cornelius Thanatos. Cornelius, this is Flint Vorselon."
"Oh, right, nice to meet you." Thanatos said briefly, not at all caring about the new person right beside him. As he pushed Vorselon aside, Thanatos shifted his attention to Lania, walking up with an intimate tone. "Well, well, Lania. Been a while, has it," He took her hand, lightly holding it in his, "Nice to see you still have that ferocious air, as always."
Vorselon growled from the sight of Thanatos trying to flirt with her, making a fist with power from his hand boosting up as he turned redder.
Before Thanatos could kiss her hand, Lania took it right out of the way as she stared him down. "I thought we made it clear that you wouldn't try any of that ever again? You should know by now I'm not interested."
He pouted as he took out a box of smokes from his pocket. "Always playing hard to get, Lania," He tried to grab her hand again, "Come on, we knew each other for a good few years now, why not giv-"
"You stay away from her you brainless scum!" Vorselon went right between both of them as he snarled right at Thanatos, "Only the great Lord Vorselon can please her evil little needs…" He said proudly.
All Lania could do was roll her eyes.
"Uh-huh," Thanatos had popped another cigar in his mouth and lit it, giving it a taste before taking it out of his math and blowing smoke from his nose. "Bub, you're a floating head in a jar, trust me when I say you wouldn't get past first base…"
"Why you -!" Vorselon sneered. "My lady, I assure you I could do much better than this disgraceful being!"
"You do realize that Cornelius is one of my highest ranked men, let alone the chief of my military and General." Lania just shook her head, "Besides, Thanatos I have full trust in, quite the opposite from you at the moment…"
"Bu-but I thought I was your favorite minion…" Vorselon pouted with his pupil large.
"But of course you're my favorite minion, sweetie," She got off her throne and rubbed his tank, "And you'll always be so."
The Terrakalon just relaxed and blushed as he looked into her eyes. "I know, love…"
Thanatos snickered. "Oh, please. Please tell me this is a joke Lania." He banged Vorselon's tank, as he just growled. "This is the idiot you're dating?! Geez, I thought you had better taste than picking a wussy fish."
"I am a man, and I'm no wuss!"
"Yeah," Thanatos just leaned down to his head level, "Well, at least I still have a-"
"Ahem."
Both of them turned their eyes to Lania as she just tapped her foot with her arms crossed.
"I didn't call you down for you two to have a cock fight, Cornelius. If you don't mind…"
Thanatos then got himself up, "Right, so what did you call me for?"
Lania sat back down on her throne. "As you know, we have been looking for The Core the past few months now with little to no luck. Well, we most likely finally tracked it down." She pushed a button near her chair, popping up a holoscreen showing planet Lumos. "Our resources have picked up that the core is located on planet Lumos, Polaris Galaxy, dimension 3XTE. Where it is on the planet is unknown, but it's believed to be in Krell Canyon thanks to traces of Zoni bioenergy in the area. You can thank Murka for the info."
Thanatos put on a smile. "So, I'm guessing you want me to storm the area."
"Yes, and put together your best troops, just in case someone interferes," She looked down at Vorselon, embarrassed about his failure.
"Lania, babe, trust me I got this. Besides," He took another taste of his cigar, blowing out smoke, "I never fail…"
"I never fail, blah!" Vorselon mocked Thanatos' words, as the other man just looked down at him, not amused.
"Oh, don't get your tentacles in a knot Flint," She then returned her attention back to Thanatos. "You have an hour to get your men and whatever else you need together; I have full trust in you that you won't mess up."
"And I shall not disappoint…" Thanatos walked out of the room and slammed the door shut. All Vorselon could do was snarl as he looked back up to Lania.
"Still think I can do better…
"Sure." She just picked up the wine glass next to her as she took a sip. "And that's why you got your ass handed over to a furball…"
"Oh, I warn you my lady, that dreaded space rat and his friends are a force to be reckoned with. Even in this very moment they must be preparing to fight us with all their strength and intelligence!"
"Oh Lance! Your eyes glimmer like the mines of Lumos!"
Ratchet, Clank, Qwark and Jens were sitting on the sofa across the holovision, with the Lombax munching on the popcorn his friend handed to him. Talwyn was helping Nefarious set things up while Cronk and Zephyr went out scouting. The scientist picked up on some abnormal signals but couldn't pinpoint where exactly they were coming from. The two war bots offered to check it out.
"Oh Janice, you smell like… a Florana Dung Beaver! When was the last time you showered?"
"Fifteen years ago, when I took a bath with Englebert on our honeymoon!"
"The one on Orxon?!"
"Yes Lance, The one on Orxon!"
Qwark gasped as Ratchet kept munching away. It wasn't until Jens broke the silence. "I don' get it? Why are these type of shows popular anyways?" She turned over to the guy wearing green, as he was biting on fingernails through his own gloves. "Well, guess someone has to be invested."
Across the room however wasn't any more exciting. Talwyn plugged in the last wire and the boot up sound chirped from the computer. She wiped the sweat off her face. "There, you should be good to go." She turned over to Nefarious, "Anything else you need?"
"No, I think I'm good in regards to all the tools, but," The mad robot eyed over to Jens, "I could use a cup of coffee."
Jens took notice. "Seriously," She scoffed, "You can't get it yerself? 'Sides, can y'even drink coffee?"
Talwyn just sighed and attempted to break up their petty argument before it began, "I'll go get you some later, right now can you two not?" She turned over to the younger girl, "Jens, why don't you take a walk. You said you wanted a tour of the station, right?"
She stared at her oddly. "Yeah, I did, but I hoped you'd show me around."
"Alright, I'll be right out in a second. I just need to speak to Ratchet first about our guest over there," Talwyn's head tilted in the direction of Nefarious.
Jens got up and walked out, "Alright, see ya in a second.."
The Markazian sighed as she walked over to the couch and sat by Ratchet, "Now that she's out of the room…"
"Thought this was about Nefarious?" Ratchet responded.
"I didn't want to offend. Anyways, I know you said she wanted to help but should she really be getting a free pass after sneaking onto Aphelion?"
"I know what she did was wrong Tal, but we could use all the help we can get."
"I'm not arguing with that, I'm more so worried that she thinks she did nothing wrong. If she does something like this again, she could get hurt. We can't afford that."
"She's impulsive, I'll give you that," The lombax sighed, "I'll talk to her when I get the-"
The were interrupted by a beep as Cronk and Zephyr's holograms popped up.
"Cronk? Zephyr?" Talwyn said in surprise, "Is everything okay? I thought you were exploring the Cerulean sector for suspicious activity."
"We were, Miss Talwyn!" Cronk explained. "But we came across some lone space pirates wandering around! It was strange, them being out on their own, but they said that since Slag and Pete got their radio show they've neglected to keep up their pirating ways."
She gave him an odd look. "And what does that have to do with...?"
"Well," Zephyr told, "I had the wisdom to ask them about any strange activity, and they said that they got some strange readings on their ship while near Lumos! So we blasted off pronto! And when we arrived, we found that their tale was true! The needles were shimmying and shaking like it was the high school ball! Remember those days, Cronk?"
"Are you sure it wasn't the Obsidian Eye in Krell Canyon?" Ratchet remained skeptical of their tale.
"Oh yes, we checked that just in case, and the needles were barely up to the jumping that they were before!"
The lombax nodded and quickly got up. "Nefarious, you think you can try to gather up some data in the area? Clank and I are going to head out to Korthos."
Nefarious turned quickly to the computer screen and started typing, "I suppose I can hack into one of the Agorian satellites by there. If I find something, I'll contact you once you get into the sector."
"Good," Ratchet geared over to the aged robots airing on the hologram "Cronk, Zephyr, stay in the sector, we'll meet you there."
"We hear ya, rookie!" Cronk replied as both of them saluted before hanging up. The lombax looked down at Clank.
"Let's get going…"
"I am right ahead of you, Ratchet."
The two then ran off, as the others in the room just watched them leave to their next adventure…
-End of Chapter Seven-
