Author's note:
Finally starting to move forwards now, and rapidly approaching the end of this story's second act too. But before that we have Boldan and perhaps one of my favourite levels; several Gravity Boots based sections and other set pieces standing out in particular, for which I intend to expand upon and perhaps add a few surprises of my own… Enjoy!
I'm always trying to improve as a writer, so please read and review. Constructive criticism is welcome, flamers are not. If you enjoy this story, please feel free to check out the other stories on my account should you wish.
- RevenantReaper337
Disclaimer:
Ratchet & Clank, associated characters, organisations, and intellectual properties belong to Insomniac Games. All other real world organisations and products belong to their respective governments, companies, etc. Original characters, creatures, weapons, etc. belong to me. Cover art belongs to Nekolover3 and is used with her kind permission.
'Thoughts'
Flashbacks
"Speech"
Chapter 28:
Convention Intervention
Silver City, Boldan
Bogon Galaxy
G2.17.083 Galactic calendar
11:37am local time
Even before they hit groundside and got to see it up close, Ellen almost felt a sense of deja vu once they were in visual range of Silver City; having dropped through the atmosphere a few hundred miles out in order to lower the chances of being targeted by any orbital defences in place. Aside from being nestled within a cove-like bay with exceptionally deep waters that often receded for extended periods, the city reminded her in part of Metropolis on planet Kerwan back during their first adventure through Solana; both seeming to blend massive, towering structures with interspersed greenery in such a way as to be both practical and aesthetically pleasing.
While Metropolis was characterised by brass fittings and art deco styling however, Silver City seemed much more practical for want of a better term; the taller buildings of glass and steel tending towards sleek lines and rounded edges, along with a simplified palette of greys and silvers. More interesting however were the much shorter and presumably older structures that seemed to be almost universally constructed from creamy coloured stone blocks; one in particular she spotted near the city's south-western edge looking almost like an old observatory with its overarching, translucent orange glass dome that split along the middle.
According to what little information they had to go on, this was in fact the Silver City convention centre which had been taken over for the official Protopet launch, and was due to be hosted in person by Mr Fizzwidget himself right about now. Unfortunately there was nowhere safe to land close by to their objective, and Security was bound to be extremely tight for such an event regardless; meaning the two commandos would be forced to set their ships down a fair way off and make their way on foot.
Worse still, the only immediately available landing zone even capable of accommodating both Star Explorers at once happened to be a railed observation deck for tourists looking out over the rocky cove encircling Silver City; itself a good few miles away from the convention centre on the south side and only accessible via a long flight of stairs enclosed within a transparent glass covered tunnel. Not to mention the fact it was currently blocked off from the public with a crackling purple force field gate, and the only other way off of the currently cramped deck was via air cab, and the one currently berthed nearby had but a single, almost irrelevant destination programmed into its memory.
What they needed was a plan, and fast. Every second delayed meant even more Protopets potentially being handed out, and lives needlessly being put in jeopardy by the fluffy blue killer creatures. To this end, Ratchet racked his brain for a winning solution as they stopped at the nearby Megacorp branded vendor to resupply, while also keeping an eye out for any new weapons that might help tip the balance in their favour.
A Meteor Gun upgrade kit for his Lava Gun was certainly welcome, though perhaps slightly disappointing once applied; the weapon reconfiguring into a bigger, meaner looking version of itself that boasted a cut down but cavernous barrel and a much more potent, almost white hot fuel mix visible through the translucent underslung tank. The problem however was that it no longer shot a stream of liquid fire as before, but rather miniature flaming meteors that exploded on contact. Add in the severely stunted range and having to account for projectile trajectory and you had something that was neither flamethrower nor machine gun, but rather something in-between that Ratchet figured he'd get used to with time; even if he did have buyer's regret.
Finally having enough to cover the costs, Ellen snapped up the Bouncer she had been eyeing for a while and was quick to get a feel for it; having long needed something other than her Visibomb Gun for dealing with hardened targets or swarms of enemies. Though she might not have been quite so trigger happy as her golden-furred partner, the human felt it prudent to stock up on as much ammo as she could carry considering the amount of abuse said weapon was likely to endure very soon. Although in the meantime there were two recent additions to the vendor's stock in particular that caught both the attention of both commandos for their own reasons.
The Hoverbomb Gun appeared to be Megacorp's answer to Gadgetron's Visibomb Gun in that both launched a high explosive projectile that could then be manually guided onto distant targets. While the latter was essentially a long range cruise missile launcher however that required the operator to stand still in order to properly steer it, the Hoverbomb instead deployed a single spiked floating mine that could be both dumb fired and remotely triggered before impact; incredibly useful for taking out entrenched targets.
The only real disadvantages aside from the exorbitant price tag was that the mines were fairly slow moving and could be shot down before reaching their target, and of course the lack of a nose camera meaning precision long range attacks had to be judged solely by the naked eye. Ratchet wasn't all that worried considering how much it cost, and the fact he already had an abundance of heavy weaponry to hand, while Ellen didn't see the point in essentially duplicating a launcher she already had when it was technically inferior in some ways.
The Spiderbot Glove on the other hand and its potential applications certainly did manage to pique her interest; the wrist-mounted device capable of deploying a quad-legged drone with an explosive payload that could be controlled remotely via the somewhat bulky unit's built in screen. Unfortunately each Spiderbot only had a fairly short signal range and would automatically self-destruct around a minute after deployment regardless if not triggered before hand. But the ability to recon areas in advance and create distractions from afar, not mention the surprisingly cheap price tag, more than outweighed any perceived disadvantages and so was quickly snapped up for future use.
"So... any ideas on getting to this convention centre?" Ellen asked aloud after stowing her most recent purchases, before hiking a thumb over her shoulder towards the still active force field and the raised pedestrian walkway beyond it. "We're obviously not getting through the easy way, and I don't think my Grapple Gun will reach that bridge either."
"Perhaps we could reprogram the automated taxi with an alternate destination, one that will take us directly to our intended destination," Clank suggested.
Ratchet shook his head with frustration as he attempted to do so, only to find his efforts rebuffed time and again. "Can't. Looks like it's locked in good, and nothing I do will shift it." The lombax paused only to shut the open panel he was working on aboard the air cab, before rising from his crouch and giving Ellen a resigned look. "Guess we'll just have to ride along to wherever this 'hyper-expressway' is and take it from there."
As it turned out, their destination was a whole lot closer than any of them had realised; the airborne taxi briefly meandering past an overhanging cliff top park before coming to a halt at some kind of raised platform atop a tower out in the middle of the cove, waves gently lapping at the base. The flat top was practically featureless other than a quartet of lampposts standing sentry in each corner, with the only other exception being a large, flat and raised disc sporting a strip of blue lights that occupied the centre.
"You know, when you said 'expressway', this wasn't exactly what I had in mind..." the redhead human trailed off as she looked around with confusion; able to see some of Silver City's coastal skyscrapers some distance away off to their right, but little that hinted at any kind of major traffic artery as the name suggested.
"Well the cab brought us here for a reason," Ratchet mused aloud while checking around for any clues as to where exactly they had ended up, only to pause as his eyes fell upon the centrally embedded disc-like portion of the platform. "Huh, I wonder..."
Ellen watched curiously as he crossed the short distance between him and the blue-lit grey circle; realisation dawning as something mechanical whirred from below once the lombax was fully stood upon it and the revealed lift platform began to slowly descend, leaving her racing to catch up. Down they went into the tower's depths, far below what had to be sea level and emerging out a small platform overlooking a truly massive tunnel; easily able to accommodate a small warship were it not completely packed with a myriad of gigantic, intermeshing cogs and gears along its length that ground together with an almost deafening mechanical clatter.
There also seemed to be slow moving, cross-threaded fans covering the tunnel's circumference at regular intervals, and it was through these that the vague shapes of fast moving vehicles could be seen flying past a good forty or so feet down; Clank giving out a brief sound of understanding moments later. "Ah, I see; the hyper-expressway is not above ground, but rather under it. This must be some form of maintenance access point for the subterranean ventilation system."
"Well at least we're on the right track," Ellen replied; her voice raised against the constant metallic crescendo and helmet sound dampening turned up to the maximum. "But how are we supposed to get through there in one piece?"
There weren't any obvious walkways leading forth or anywhere to get a solid grip with either Swingshot or Grapple Gun, with only a solitary Levitator refuelling pad right on the platform's edge offering any clue as to how anyone was supposed to get around down here. The only one with said gadget however was Ratchet, through Clank's prior infield upgrade back on Joba, and it was doubtful they could both effectively carry the human while remaining agile enough to dodge around the whirling machinery; not to mention the increased drain on fuel consumption. Unfortunately that meant Ellen would have to stay behind while her companions tried to find a way through; returning to their impromptu landing zone and sitting this one out until an alternate route could be found.
Didn't mean she had to like it though.
It took a little reassurance on the lombax's part to convince her that Clank and himself could handle this, but she finally relented with more than a little reluctance; watching the redhead step back on to the lift platform once more and rise out of sight towards the surface before turning back towards the task at hand. With his robotic companion having converted himself appropriately into Levitator mode, Ratchet soon topped up the internal fuel supply at the refuelling pad and found himself standing right on the platform's edge; looking out on to an expanse of grinding machinery that could easily crush anything that got caught within.
Leg muscles bunched and breath tensing in anticipation, Ratchet pushed off into the mechanical abyss and managed to cover several feet before the Levitator kicked in and lived up to its name; short, careful bursts of thrust carrying him through the gauntlet of potentially lethal hazards and out into a veritable swarm of midday traffic. It was honestly a small miracle they weren't hit as a haulage truck narrowly blew past with its horn blaring; several other drivers following suit while swerving around the lombax, who opted to drop below the current lane of airborne vehicles and make for a small hovering islet occupied by an advertising hoarding right in the tunnel's centre.
Thankfully there was another Levitator pad there to replenish the nearly empty tank, but that of course left the issue of where to go next considering there was a good sixty or so feet drop to the tunnel floor below, and Clank's gas guzzling upgrade was their only method of getting around right now. With a selectively permeable force field blocking one potential exit however, and the little robot having detected a power conduit nearby that may link to the other barrier above heading the opposite way, it wasn't much of a decision to make.
The only real problem was that it involved speeding straight towards six stacked lanes of oncoming traffic and weaving between who knows how many irate drivers in order to reach wherever the source was; all of which had to be done on a very finite amount of fuel, and with no hope of a second chance should things go wrong.
No pressure.
Even so, things were still really touch and go from the moment Ratchet leapt off the platform and into the midday rush of commuter traffic; punching the thrusters to skim over a sleek red air car as it sped by and running across the roof of cargo hauler to save fuel, before jumping off the opposite end and boosting forth once more. He could almost swear some were aiming at him given how close they got to gaining a lombax-shaped hood ornament without so much as slowing down; a fate only avoided by inherent lombax reflexes and carefully timed bursts from the Levitator while negotiating the seemingly never-ending tunnel.
But just as the fuel warning light displayed upon his HUD blinked into life and the thrusters began to stutter, Ratchet saw what had to be their goal up ahead; twin stacked lanes of traffic filtering in from either side of the tunnel while leaving a gap in-between, through which he could see what looked like another maintenance passage high up on the wall. With one last boost of acceleration, he traded what was left of the tank for altitude and zeroed in on the fairly narrow ledge; using a passing cop car as a springboard to gain that bit more height and landing on the ledge with a stagger just as the Levitator finally gave up the ghost.
"This it, pal?" Ratchet had to hell over the constant din of traffic behind him; getting a good look at the multitude of power cables criss-crossing the passageway just beyond and not liking the way electricity arced between several of the damaged ones one bit.
Clank nodded in response, even though the gesture couldn't be seen given his current position on the lombax's back. "I can not be certain, but it would appear so. A number of these conduits seem to be linked to a singular, energy intensive source, such as that required by a high tier force field. In theory, disabling one or more of these should be sufficient to overload the system and shutdown any nearby barriers until it can be restored."
"Well then," the lombax replied with a grin; wrench twirling in one hand before being leant back across his shoulder. "Let's get to work."
{()}
Ellen was both bored and nervous in equal measure; her normally patient outlook marred by the frustration of not being able to do a thing while the a potential biological apocalypse was set to occur less than a few miles away.
She found herself pacing like a caged tiger, retracing the same path back and forth in front of the still crackling force field gate blocking her way and fervently hoping that Ratchet would hurry up and find a way around soon; preferably before the gnawing sense of dread welling up in her stomach made the human do something drastic. After all, there could already be dozens of Protopets out on the streets, or even thousands since Megacorp were just giving them away for free, and had likely been doing so since the convention centre had officially opened to the public a few hours ago according to what information Ellen had been able to gather.
The antsy commando was just on the verge of taking one of the Star Explorers and assaulting the place directly, damned be the consequences or likely heavy anti-air defences set up to protect Mr Fizzwidget, when the purple force field suddenly began to flicker before dying out altogether. The reason for which was soon revealed as Ratchet rose into view on the raised walkway above leading into the city itself, no doubt thanks to another recessed elevator platform; Ellen quickly jogging up the glass tunnel-covered flight of stairs just beyond the gate to rejoin him. 'Finally!'
As she approached however, the redhead couldn't help but note a few prominent scorch marks marring his modified commando suit, nor the way some of his fur stood on end with little crackles of static electricity, although it certainly didn't seem to affect his mood or the trademark grin plastered on his face. "Sorry to keep you waiting, traffic was killer."
Ellen blinked with perhaps more than a hint of disbelief. "What the hell happened to you?"
"I believe Ratchet may have been perhaps a little too enthusiastic with disabling the underground power conduits we located," Clank replied with a fair degree of amusement colouring his voice.
"Never gonna let me live that one down are ya?" Ratchet asked rhetorically with an exasperated sigh. "How was I supposed to know the last one would just... blow up in my face like that?"
"...Maybe we should discuss this later," their redheaded companion cut in before they could get further sidetracked. "Preferably after we've talked some sense into Mr Fizzwidget."
On that they could all agree, and the trio were soon on the move once again with weapons readied and determination fuelling their every step.
It was as they ascended a short flight of stairs and preparing to cross the bridge-like walkway leading into Silver City however that they got an inkling something was truly amiss, other than a disturbing lack of airborne traffic or people around of course. There appeared to be a cluster of pre-placed square barricades in the middle of the span; each around five foot tall, thickly plated, and easily wide enough for both commandos to hide behind simultaneously with room to spare. It was just as well really, because a torrent of blue plasma seared across the otherwise open bridge a few seconds later; human and lombax diving apart and hunkering down behind the closest barricade while trying to get a bead on their assailants.
Peeking around her cover, Ellen managed to catch a glimpse of two armoured figures packing some kind of heavy rifle on the other side of the bridgehead before being forced to duck back from a fresh barrage of energy bolts; switching over to her carbine and blind-firing over the top of the barricade in an effort to throw off their aim. Although most of the human's rounds were way off the mark, the momentary slackening of incoming fire from the two attackers as they ducked away proved to be all the opening Ratchet needed to go back on the offensive.
Rounding his cover in one fluid motion with the Minirocket Tube already shouldered, the lombax jinked away from a stray plasma bolt sent his way and pulled the trigger twice before tumbling into a roll that saw him push up against the next barricade along; blowing away one hostile with a direct hit and sending the other sprawling across the deck. Racing forth across the remaining bridge length in an effort to clear the kill zone they had found themselves in, the two commandos soon found themselves passing through gatehouse's circular archway on the opposite side just as their second foe had recovered and begun to bring his rifle to bear, only to find that the first was somehow still alive and exceptionally angry.
Now they were up close, it was fairly obvious to the three companions that these were in fact Thugs-4-less employees; sharing the same distinctly reptilian features as their peers, albeit with a slightly thicker build than the merc regulars and with deep green-coloured skin. Also different was the fact these guys were wearing actual armour rather than the PMC's more cutthroat attire; a predominantly silver chest plate with an armoured neck guard and thicker portion towards the front, plus oversized shoulder pads trimmed in orange. The knee high boots were similarly armoured and fit with the same colour scheme, worn over a black undersuit made from some reinforced material that covered the legs and presumably continued under the chest plate, but left the arms bare.
It was certainly a testament to the armour's effectiveness that it had tanked a direct hit from a rocket designed to combat vehicles, even if the wearer in question's had been gutted entirely and suffered numerous lacerations from shrapnel as a result. But of more pressing concern right now however was the short-barrelled heavy plasma rifles each of these elite thugs was packing, especially since Ratchet and Ellen's modified commando suits weren't anywhere near as durable; the pair having to dive aside as bolts of crackling blue energy shot towards the space they had been occupying but seconds before.
Thankfully the reptilian mercs weren't wearing helmets however and Ratchet's thrown wrench proved more than a distraction to the as it smashed into the as yet untouched thug's short crocodilian snout, snapping his head back and allowing Ellen to finish off the other with a concentrated burst of automatic fire to the already bleeding torso. The still standing thug was too busy howling in rage and clamping both hands down on a likely broken upper jaw to do anything threatening, having already dropped his gun to do so didn't see the follow up wrench strike coming as it cracked across the back of his skull and knocked him out cold.
Letting the merc drop to the floor with a pained groan, Ratchet couldn't help but frown in thought as he looked down at the now unconscious form. "What the heck are these guys doing here, and where did they get all this gear?"
"Considering what Angela told you guys, isn't it kind of obvious?" Ellen asked rhetorically; using the brief lull to swap out her part used clip for a fresh one before stowing it in favour of her as yet untested Bouncer. "Megacorp must be either supplying the thugs as part of their new contract, or at least cutting them a good deal. And considering how many assets they're supposed to have defending these supposed Protopet distribution centres, how much are you willing to bet they'll dedicate to protecting the company CEO at a public event?"
"A significant number indeed," Clank replied with a hint of worry. "It is likely that Thugs-4-Less have locked down significant portions of the city a part of their security operation and have a significant number of reinforcements on stand by. We should exercise the utmost caution and avoid unnecessary combat, lest Mr Fizzwidget be evacuated before we can locate him."
"I hear ya pal, but I don't think we've got a choice here," the lombax shot back before dashing forward as the floor length, elegant frosted glass and wrought metal work doors before them cracked open before sliding apart; revealing the business end of a chunky-looking shotgun just before the owner pulled the trigger.
Ratchet however was already in motion and knocked the thug enforcer's much larger than expected weapon off target with his wrench; deflecting the blast of superheated buckshot towards the ceiling and leaving him momentarily open to a flurry of strikes that unfortunately achieved very little. While they had been tough to beat before, Thugs-4-Less enforcers tended to at least give a little ground when attacked so viciously or make good use of their collapsible gauntlet-mounted shields until they could turn the situation to their advantage. This guy on the other hand was actually pushing the lombax back with his sheer bulk and much larger hard light riot shield scything down in a low arc; any blows that struck barely denting the merc's much heavier-looking armour and additional panels strapped to all four limbs.
Add to that the open face helm with built in tinted visor, supplementing the enforcer's expected lower half mask, and you had one very dangerous opponent in close quarters engagements that could no longer be taken down with just simple blunt force trauma to the skull. Instead Ratchet found himself somersaulting away from the sweeping shield strike and drawing his newly upgraded Meteor Gun in mid-flip before hosing the enforcer with a constant stream of miniature flammable space rocks; rocking the merc with multiple small explosions and giving himself a little breathing space to come up with a better method of attack.
It was a similar story for Ellen as she ducked behind one of the open and partly recessed frosted glass doors, plasma fire from the twin flanking armoured thugs on the opposite side striking it and warping the integrated metal work shortly before one massive energy blast punched straight through the space where her head had been a split second later. The cause of which was the rather buff figure resembling one of the PMC's missile launcher carrying brutes they had first encountered back at the Maktar Resort, who was currently sheltering behind a reception desk directly in the middle of the room just beyond and staying low until his portable heavy plasma cannon sufficiently cooled down for another shot.
Other than the improved armament, this up-armoured brute also had a much denser, blood red chest plate with black pauldrons sporting gold trim and some kind of insignia; perhaps the mark of a squad leader or such. He was also the only class of merc present with a matching full face helmet and appeared to have a small Quick Select hanging off his belt along with several obvious grenades; further cementing his status as a priority target in the redhead's eyes as she rounded her now ruined cover and brought the Bouncer to bear.
Reading about the weapon's specifications and seeing it in action were two very different things; a resounding thump sounding out as the large, spiked silver ball exiting the grenade launcher's cavernous muzzle arced a short distance across the room and bounced twice before suddenly detonating. Multiple bouncing bomblets, each a minute copy of its previous spiny container, blanketed practically the entire room in a cacophony of explosions that easily wiped out the three thugs within along with the desk their sole brute was hiding behind and a good deal of the furnishings. Of course there was the small issue of making sure not to get caught up in the blast radius herself, and though she resolved to err on the side of caution when it came to future use to prevent accidental fratricide, Ellen was more than satisfied with her purchase.
Having finished off the enforcer he had been fighting with a combination of deft footwork and a Tesla Claw jammed into the nether region, Ratchet couldn't help but whistle in appreciation upon catching the tail end of the Bouncer's cluster bomb effect and its end result. "Gotta admit babe, kinda wish I had one of those now. Don't suppose you'd wanna trade?"
The redhead rolled her eyes with a snort of amusement, a slight smirk working its way on to her face. "You've already got a nuclear grenade launcher, plus the Minirocket Tube and a gun that shoots homing missiles. Still sure you're not trying to compensate for something, fuzz ball?"
"As if," Ratchet replied with a knowing grin as he leaned in towards her; taking delight in her slight flush at his next words as the implications sank in. "Besides, you know more than anyone that I'm always packing where it counts."
Oh she knew alright; the memories of what they had gotten up to during that night in the bunker evoking a sense of warmth that threatened to flood her very core. Now however was certainly not the time to dwell upon the tingling feelings it brought up and what could be in the future; Ellen instead electing to clear her throat and give a counter offer that would hopefully draw away Clank's inquisitive attention to their conversation and forestall any really awkward questions. "I, uh, could do with a launcher of some kind that can be fired on the move though. Would you take the Sheepinator for your HK22?"
Though a little reluctant to give up one of his heavy weapons, the lombax eventually agreed if for no other reason that it would mean they could both bring rapid rocket and missile launchers to bear at the same time; the results of which would be devastating on any who crossed their path. Speaking of which, now that they were inside the wrecked interior of what appeared to be a tourist information centre if the surviving signage adorning the walls was anything to go by, the two commandos were faced with the choice of where exactly to go next.
Twin flights of curving stairs flanking either side of where the reception desk had once stood led to two entirely separate locations; the left most sporting a wall plaque that read 'Silver Bay Recreational Park', while its opposite number appeared to lead back up to street level. With no time to lose and their reason for coming here possibly being evacuated off world any minute once word of the mercenaries being engaged got out, it wasn't really that difficult a decision to make; both lombax and human pushing up the stairs to their right and emerging out onto an open air market occupying most of the wide-open, cordoned off street.
Neatly trimmed grass and tropical ferns lined the sidewalks in neat rows, complementing several large palms and an elegant, multi-tiered fountain taking pride of place in the middle of what turned out to be a cliff top cul-de-sac. A plethora of stalls surrounded the imposing water feature almost like the petals of a flower, offering a variety of goods and consumables from across the galaxy to any who could afford them; or at least they would were it not for the distinct lack of people and abundance of armoured PMC troops flooding into the area.
A withering hail of superheated plasma punctured the otherwise peaceful air burned into several of the scattered market stalls, forcing the two commandos to split up and seek cover while trying get a proper visual on their foes. Ellen counted at least three rifle-packing thugs on her side spread between a couple of overturned concession stands, with a single brute backing them up from his partially concealed position behind the water fountain; a pack of second generation chickenbots racing through the numerous obstacles between them and rapidly closing the distance while she was pinned down.
Another Bouncer-launched cluster bomb over the top of her cover soon put paid to that notion; blanketing the immediate area just beyond and shattering the drone assault almost entirely bar for one severely damaged survivor that was promptly ran through by the redhead's Versa Blade when it got too close. Of course the Thugs-4-Less employees weren't going to take that kind of thing lying down and began to push forward; one merc laying down covering fire while his two squad mates attempted to flank the besieged human as the plasma cannon-packing brute to their rear finished charging up his shot and directly targeted her cover.
Managing to just about make out the faint building whine of the heavy weapon's charge cycle, Ellen had barely enough time to frantically dive away sharply as a massive energy blast disintegrated the metal-lined produce stall she had been sheltering behind and landed awkwardly before scrambling behind a similar, soon to be half melted kiosk nearby on all fours. Heart hammering in her chest at such a close call, the human quickly tossed out a few Megaturrets to provide support before suddenly recalling the weapon Ratchet had traded her a couple of minutes ago; instantly switching over to the HK22 Gun and poking its protruding-spiked barrel around her cover before rapidly squeezing the trigger twice in succession.
While his human partner was otherwise preoccupied on her side of the market place, Ratchet had already carved his way through another wave of combat drones and dropped a Mini-Nuke on a brute attempting to deploy more via the silver orbs carried on his belt. The resulting mushroom cloud and shower of mangled stalls being thrown around also made for a pretty good distraction too; helping to mask the lombax's movements as he vaulted over his cover and took the fight towards the remaining thugs present.
Grenade launcher thumping once again, he pivoted and spun off to one side as a plasma bolt passed through the same space he had been previously occupying mere moments before; taking out most of the merc squad in one fell swoop and finishing off the sole survivor still standing with an extended burst from his machine gun. Flanking around the fountain's far side in order to support his redheaded counterpart, Ratchet just caught sight of an armoured thug taking a pair of homing missiles to the chest that took him out of the fight permanently before getting stuck in; focusing on the plasma cannon equipped brute still sheltering there and electing to give the Sheepinator a spin.
The merc whirled around almost immediately upon being hit with the transmogrifying beam, lashing out with his plasma cannon only for Ratchet to jink away while keeping the steady stream of swirling particles on target until the process suddenly finished with a brief, blinding flash of light. All the remaining PMC troops knew was that their heavy support had suddenly been replaced with a sheep right before they were caught in a deadly crossfire; one that saw them cut down in short order and a still air settling over the market place once more.
"Hey babe, you okay over there?"
Climbing back to her feet, Ellen took a deep breath and exhaled before threading her way towards Ratchet through the resulting mess of shattered stalls and broken bodies. "I am now, fuzz ball. Thanks for the- Oh, hello." The human's sudden change in tack was brought upon by accidentally kicking a familiar-looking transparent tube with a bluish substance suspended inside; her suspicions as to its purpose confirmed upon picking it up and inspecting the neatly printed label. "Another Nanotech booster pack... Wonder if there's any more..."
The overturned market stall she had been passing had originally been stocked with Nanotech and medical supplements for sale if the shattered contents around it were anything to go by, and although a brief search on everyone's part managed to turn up one other cracked but otherwise unsullied booster, the rest were unfortunately way beyond salvageable. Still, it was better than nothing; and once both packs were swiftly downed with the familiar sensation of tingling ice across skin, the two commandos crossed over the far side of the cordoned off street and took a small elevator up to a raised observation deck looking out over the bay area.
The elongated, U-shaped and wooden-panelled walkway would normally act as a promenade for numerous small shops and businesses occupying the structure space around which it was shaped, with several sets of rounded tables and chairs lining one side for the benefit of those patronising said establishments. What greeted the lombax and human as they stepped off the lift platform however was some piled up furniture immediately on either side and more of the pre-placed barricades they had seen earlier, arranged to form a wall that occupied the middle of the walkway and provide a good defensive point for the manned heavy machine gun turret bolted into place that opened up almost immediately.
"Oh shit, scatter!"
Once again they dove apart to either side as the thug mercilessly raked the immediate area with automatic fire, their temporary cover not liable to last much longer considering the rate at which it was being chewed apart. There wasn't even any way to effectively shoot back without being shredded to pieces in return, but just as Ellen was frantically trying to come up with a way out of this situation, a glance over towards Ratchet showed that he was already way ahead of her; Bomb Glove equipped and ready while jerking his head towards the merc's position.
Nodding in return, the redhead switched over to her own Bomb Glove and the pair began tossing the contact sensitive grenades both over and around their respective cover; the incoming fire slackening and gunner no doubt cursing up a storm as multiple detonations rocked his position. Seizing the opportunity, Ratchet rounded what was left of the jumbled furniture he had been sheltering behind and bolted forth as Ellen provided suppressing fire with her carbine; weaving through the sudden swarm of chickenbots heading their way and somersaulting over the turret's barricade before laying into the recovering operator with a descending overhead wrench strike to the skull that dropped him like a lead weight.
Of course he wasn't the only problem they had to deal with, and the constant sound of gunfire had attracted a multitude of PMC reinforcements bearing down on the two commandos from further ahead. Even as Ellen blew apart the remaining drones that her partner had bypassed with her shotgun, a pair of enforcers rounded the corner of the now pock-marked shopping promenade with a mixed squad of brutes and up-armoured regulars close on their heels; more joining them from a store front off to the commando's right and filling the walkway with a veritable wall of firepower that soon made itself known.
Ratchet was already moving as the opening salvo bracketed his suddenly exposed position with plasma and forced his human partner back into cover, narrowly evading the searing bolts of energy skimming by with inches to spare and snagging one of the machine gun turret's control handles as he vaulted back over the barricade. With momentum carrying it, the heavy weapon swung around on its mount and the lombax quickly jammed down the twin firing studs without hesitation as it faced back the other way; sending forth a hail of bullets while letting the built in blast shield take the brunt of their fire.
Although there was a momentary sense of hesitation during which a few thugs fell, the enforcers quickly responded by locked their riot shields together while the remaining mercs rallied behind them; plasma rifles discharging through small gaps in the coverage and drone spawning grenades being hurled over the top as the formation slowly advanced. Of course Ellen hadn't been idle herself during the initial exchange; electing to fall back on her tried and trusted Visibomb Gun instead of the Bouncer since she didn't want to risk hitting her partner with stray sub-munitions and promptly loosing off a vertically launched TV guided missile before sending it into a vertical dive.
The tank-killing, high explosive warhead detonated just behind the thugs densely packed frontline with predictably messy results, carving through armour with frightening ease and sending lifeless bodies flailing through the air. More importantly it caused the front ranks of shield bearing enforcers to stagger out of formation from the sheer blast force, and Ratchet wasted no time in redirecting his fire from the few deployed drones still standing to the suddenly presented gap in their lines; taking down several survivors and one of the shotgun-toting heavies in the process.
Between the commandeered bullet hose and a launched cluster bomb from Ellen once she had caught up to his position a few moments later, it was all over; the rearmost thugs still standing having long since fallen back around the corner to what was likely another defensive chokepoint while leaving their dead behind. Grimacing at the mess they had wrought, and almost having to physically pry Ratchet from the mounted weapon once he realised it was too heavily entrenched to take with them, the redhead took the lead as they approached the edge of the shopping promenade around which the wood-panelled walkway ran; crouching down and cautiously peeking out only to be surprised at what she found.
Or rather, what she didn't since there was nobody there; several pre-erected barricades standing at several points along the promenade's length, all of which would have made excellent defensive positions, yet not a soul in sight. It was down right suspicious, and even as Ellen relayed what she had seen back to her two companions, she couldn't help but notice the matching frowns upon their faces that likely mirrored her own. "So, trap?"
"Obviously," Ratchet replied with a snorting eye roll. "But when's that ever stopped us before?"
Clank shook his helm. "I do not like this, and the chances of another ambush is extremely high, but we must reach Mr Fizzwidget before it is too late. I recommend exercising the utmost caution."
"I hear that," Ellen muttered as she switched over to her carbine for its versatility; wetting suddenly dry lips and taking a deep breath before throwing caution to the wind. "Okay... Let's go."
The two commandos rounded the corner in tandem with weapons raised and tension in each carefully measured step; eyes flickering over the seemingly abandoned store fronts stretching out along their left and any other possible hiding spots while straining to listen for the slightest giveaway sound over waves crashing against the bay far below to the right. It wasn't until the duo had gotten around thirty yards or so that a faint but oddly familiar noise gave them pause; sounding much like something whipping against the still air and rapidly drawing closer by the second.
Ratchet's ears perked up and eyes widened in realisation, grabbing hold of Ellen's free arm and putting words to action as he spurred her into motion. "Run!"
As a result they were already Moving as a predominantly purple and bulky-looking attack chopper rose up from the bay area below mere moments later, its nose mounted cannon having already spooled up and laying down a hell storm of laser fire in their wake. Fortunately the ornate, engraved glass barrier lining the promenade's outer most edge took some of the initial brunt before being melted through altogether, with the store fronts behind it following suit shortly thereafter as they were gutted entirely; not to mention the lombax's quick response had given them a modest head start to boot.
But as the frantically running pair dodged between abandoned tables and pre-fabricated barricades, there was a small niggling feeling in the back of Ellen's admittedly frantic mind that they were being herded into something rather than actively targeted; the helo pilot's lazy arc of fire almost seeming to deliberately avoid hitting the commandos while forcing them to keep running forward into the unknown. Add to that his inexplicable refusal to make use of the rocket pods mounted upon the chopper's elongated wing pylons, other than to collapse a section of the promenade further back, and the seed of suspicion grew further still; especially since it conveniently cut off their only path of retreat too.
One way or the other though, they would find out for certain all too soon; especially since the raised shopping promenade came to an abrupt end after several long, heart pounding seconds of practically flat out sprinting. A snapshot from Ratchet's Minirocket Tube forced the helicopter's pilot to jink hard and evade; buying just enough time for the two commandos to dash towards a nearby lift platform on the walkway's edge and ride it back down to street level before he could get a bead once again.
Ellen couldn't help but gulp down air as her heart pounded a mile a minute, fumbling for her weapon's magazine release and swapping out the half empty clip for a fresh one during the brief moment of calm. "Christ, that was close... These guys have really got it in for us, haven't they?"
Following suit, Ratchet briefly bobbed his head in agreement while ensuring his own arsenal was fully loaded. "Can't say I'm surprised. After everything we've done and all the thugs we've taken out, Logan's probably taking this real personal."
"I am detecting a significant amount of heavily encrypted communications chatter ahead of our position," Clank chimed in almost immediately after the lombax had spoken.
"Can you patch us in?" Ellen queried with a hopeful look; looking to gain any advantage they could. Unfortunately the little robot merely shook his helm in reply.
"I am afraid not; the encryption is far too secure to do so remotely. Although I believe it is safe to assume that additional Thugs-4-Less forces will have been dispatched to impede our mission."
Of that there was little doubt, nor that there would likely be a welcoming party waiting at the bottom of the lift shaft once they had finished their descent. Not to mention the chopper still orbiting around up there somewhere and other friends it might bring back around for another strafing run. It was perhaps no surprise then that the pair were feeling rather tense as they stepped off of the elevator once it stopped at a fairly wide and open plaza; a broad mixture of erected barricades and modern art sculptures spread throughout, while a quartet of upmarket, multi-tiered luxury stores flanked either side.
A few hundred yards beyond that was another cordoned off street that ran parallel to the plaza with active force field gates blocking either end, on the other side of which lay a massively imposing multi-story structure fronted by several feet thick columns and an extensive flight of wide steps leading up to glass panelled doors. This was the renowned - and perhaps unsurprisingly - Megacorp owned Silver Bay hotel and spa; normally the preserve of exclusive clientele, but currently occupied by Thugs-4-Less employees hunkered down in multiple static fortifications with weapons trained towards the two commandos, but not deigning to open fire in spite of just barely being within range.
The answer came mere moments later along with the accursed attack helicopter as it circled around to hover over the opposite end of the plaza; a pair of well built figures perched upon either of the elongated wings jumping off and freefalling a good thirty feet to the solid ground below. Instead of pancaking on impact however, the left most newcomer slowed his descent with the aid of a cumbersome looking jetpack sporting ridiculously oversized outboard turbine engines, while his opposite number slammed down into a crouch boots first hard enough to crack the intricate tiling beneath and leave a small crater before slowly rising back upright.
Aside from a slightly darker colouration and more prominent dorsal spikes, they physically resembled the merc company's heavy weapon carrying brutes; both being broad-chested, muscular, and at least a good few heads taller than their smaller compatriots. The differences however soon became much more apparent now that the three companions could see them clearly, their oddly similar appearance vastly contrasting with an entirely opposite style of attire.
Other than the previously mentioned big ass jetpack, merc number one seemed to have a serious obsession with bling; from the gold chains hung around his neck to the buckle of his raritanium encrusted belt, and even the full set of gold-plated sharp teeth that were bared in a shark-like grin. A lightweight, contoured blue chest plate adorned with gilded, zigzagging designs and platinum strips covered his vital organs; with a matching set of knee pads worn over hardy, dark blue cargo pants plus those protecting the elbows of his bare arms.
Completing the ensemble was a pair of silver metallic boots and contoured, similarly coloured gauntlets adorned with gold stripes on either arm that sported smooth, shield-like projections; the distinctive glowing cores around the wrist area almost looking like an integrated Quick Select system from a distance. The final touch came in the form of opaque, cherry red-lensed goggles that entirely concealed the merc's eyes from view and made him difficult to read as he shot a quick sideways glance towards his partner.
The other thug felt a lot more threatening with the way he stood slightly hunched as if preparing to leap into the fray at a moment's notice, although the grille-like half face mask and identical goggles to his counterpart probably didn't help either. Then again, neither did the chunky, drum fed grenade launcher and twin-tubed bazooka carried in either hand; a somewhat ironic choice of armament really considering the thickly padded, long-sleeved khaki vest he wore, with its high collar and groin protector, appeared nigh identical to those used by bomb disposal technicians on Earth.
Tiger stripe pattern camouflaged cargo pants and additional shin pads rounded out his attire, along with a similar set of metallic boots to the first merc and a pair of fingerless black gloves that barely contained his meaty fists. Finally, a bandoleer adorned with multiple grenades of various types crossed his chest from waist to shoulder, while several missile tips protruded from the top of a sturdy pack mounted upon his back; leaving very little doubt as to where this particular thug's specialty lay.
"Well if it ain't the three knuckleheads who've been tearin' up our boys," jetpack guy announced with a gold-plated grin; hovering a foot or so off the ground with arms casually folded on his breastplate. "You've been causin' the boss a whole heap o' trouble! So much so that he's offering a free pizza party-"
"Plus drinks and sides," the bazooka-wielding thug helpfully added with his rumbling tone of voice.
-"to whoever bags your sorry asses. So how's about you drop those pop guns and make it easy on yourselves?"
Not sure whether to feel proud their little team had riled up the PMC's leader so much or insulted that Logan thought so little of them as to offer such a lacklustre reward, Ratchet rolled his eyes with a derisive snort. "Yeah, like that's gonna happen. Who are you two clowns supposed to be anyway?"
"I'm Buddy Bling!" the gold-laden jetpack user declared with a brief application of vertical thrust that raised the thug's altitude a few feet while hiking a thumb at himself.
"And I'm Buddy Boom," the other merc continued; emphasising the last word as he raised his bazooka and adopted a wider firing stance, while the grenade launcher remained at waist level. "In case you can't tell, we're brothers."
"And we're done talkin' here," Bling finished as he tapped something on his gauntlet's built in Wrist Com; an expansive force field wall springing into life on opposite ends of the plaza via hidden emitters and effectively trapping everyone within in a makeshift arena that occupied roughly a quarter mile. "Now it's just you and us, winner takes all."
"So let's dance!" Boom growled out; pulling the trigger on his launcher and sending the two commandos scattering in opposite directions as a cluster of grenades engulfed the area they had been occupying in smoke and debris.
His brother meanwhile took to the skies on twin pillars of flame, retrieving a boxy-looking rifle with barrel-length coil protrusions from his Quick Select that had enough encrusted raritanium and gold plating to buy a small country; a dull hum of building electricity building in before a blinding beam of blue light lanced out.
It seemed that their rendezvous with Fizzwidget would have to be delayed a little longer...
Can you say 'tag team boss battle'?
I wanted to try something different this time around and this seemed like the ideal location to try it out. And so rather than ganging up on a single giant enemy, our heroes are instead facing off against two distinctly different reader-prompted bosses fighting in concert; evening the playing field and providing what I hope to be a much more chaotic battle. Thanks go to Shane Kor and Lightsaviour2759 for their suggestions way back last year; the briefs of which I have expanded upon to create what I've affectionately dubbed Team Buddies, and whom we will shall see a lot more of next chapter.
Review replies:
starrat - Thanks! Hope you like this one too.
jozs001 - Yay, new reviewer! I do intend to cover Up Your Arsenal after this story is completed and perhaps a few side stories too, but beyond that I'm not so sure just yet. Rest assured though that there will be more fluffiness to come, but likely not until after the current arc is over considering what's coming up in the next few chapters.
Firestar5277 - Yep, I'm afraid so. Word is that that it'll be a four part CGI mini series with hour long episodes and, if you'll excuse the bad pun, watered down violence compared to the original animated film. Still likely to give kids nightmares though, and anyone else expecting fluffy bunnies frolicking. Speaking of fluffy things, the original Sheepinator is indeed back though perhaps not necessarily in Ellen's hands for long; the reason for which you'll see this chapter. Not to say she won't be making good use of it in the future however…
Glad you like the new layout, I'll be fixing the previous chapters so that they follow suit once I get a chance. And of course Ace is up to something, but for whom? Also, Ellen isn't too pleased with Zurgo's name for her, and may possibly have a few creatively ironic ideas as to where to shove the toilet-clogging Qwark action figure found on Aranos. Assuming you don't get him first that is…
I've still got a long way to go before I can call myself an even remotely competent author, but I do feel that I'm gradually getting better with time. You're right in that I have tended to fall into that particular trope, largely due to not wanting to sound too repetitive. But now that I'm using shorter, more broken up paragraphs that hopefully won't be an issue for much longer, and might just raise the general quality as well. Something else to fix on older chapters too, methinks. Thank you once again; and if the squirrels and rabbits persist, I recommend sending in Lawn Ninjas or the Doom Squad to help even the odds. Take care!
Razor of DOOM - Sorry, but I'm going to have to disagree with you there this time. There's a pretty big difference between 'sprint' and 'jog', and in this particular scene Ratchet is rapidly trying put some distance between himself and several incoming dropships at a fast pace. Ergo, he's moving as quickly as possible but unable to maintain a full on sprint since he's likely fatigued by this point; hence an almost or nigh sprinting pace. Hope that clears things up.
Light Seeker 001 - To be fair, they don't really need the armour magnetiser at all, so there's no need for Ratchet and Ellen to go see Zurgo again. Bearing your idea in mind however, who's to say that Ellen won't find a way to put the distinctly unhygienic Qwark action figure to good use? Let's just say that if I ever decide to cover Full Frontal Assault, Zurgo will certainly have another reason to hate our heroes more than he does already…
Destiny W - Thank you; I'll do my best to keep the chapters coming.
Guest - It's funny you should say that, I actually had a similar idea myself for a snippet or side story a while back. Probably not something that would work directly in this story, but definitely omake material that I would consider writing in the future. Thanks for the reminder, and hope you enjoy the next chapter too.
Sonachugirl - To be honest, I think everyone goes a bit crazy once they get their hands on the Sheeepinator for the first time. There's just something… moreish about it, and before you know it there's sheep everywhere. You'll just have to wait and see what Ace is up to and his end game, although suddenly being haunted might discourage him from doing anything untoward with regards to Ellen… Oh, and thanks for the spot too; not sure how I missed that but it's all fixed now. Take care!
DarkEnigma95 - Huh… Weird coincidence or what? Glad you liked the chapter, and of course the awesomeness that is the Sheepinator. There was always something shifty about Zurgo back in the day, but I must admit to being both surprised and pleased at his unveiling as the main antagonist in Full Frontal Assault/Q-Force. Definitely didn't see it coming, especially considering he was originally just a throwaway, background character. And of course Ace is on the prowl as well, but as to what he's up to… Rest assured, all will be revealed in time. Thanks again, and here's hoping you like this chapter too.
The White Guardian - Judging by your constant correspondence, I should say so! Seriously though, with the sheer amount of stuff you've got going on, make sure to take some time out too so as not to burn yourself out. Been there far too many times myself. The chapter name was actually a last minute thing when I couldn't think of anything else appropriate; though the fact it resonates with you is a happy coincidence. Actually… I may have to bug you about re-entry speeds and such for a chapter I've got planned later down the line considering I precisely nothing about it. Should you be willing, that is.
I was honestly disappointed myself with the Meteor Gun back during Going Commando considering just how damn useful the Lava Gun was, and though the Nitrogen Gun upgrade in UYA was a massive improvement it just wasn't the same. Got to love the Sheepinator, and of course all those terrible puns which simply can't not be said now Ewe've started the ball (of wool) rolling. A confrontation between Ace and Cash is almost inevitable really with events cascading as they are; but as to the circumstances and just how bad it'll be, you'll just have to wait and see…
Until next time, please review and check out my other stories once they're posted and/or updated.
Thanks for reading
- RevenantReaper337
