Whole Again

by RevenantReaper337

Sequel to Time Heals All. It's been nearly a year since Drek's defeat; the day Ratchet last saw Ellen alive before she was cruelly torn away. Fate works in mysterious ways however, and an unexpected opportunity provided by the eccentric head of a mega corporation in a distant galaxy may be just the catalyst needed to reunite the heroes of Solana once more. Covers R&C 2.

34. Prison Break Part II

Author's note:

Let me start by thanking you all once again for your patience, understanding, and encouragement during this down period. I just couldn't get this chapter to work for so long; suffering through an extended writers block and finally breaking through, only to realise there was no way I could actually finish it on time.

As a result I've been typing away like crazy over the past week in a desperate attempt to catch up, and at the time of publishing, have only just finished this past hour. Meaning that there's probably going to be a fair few mistakes in spite of my best efforts, so any you might catch would be appreciated.

Still can't say I'm 100% satisfied with the end result, but it's definitely better than what it would have been a week previous, even if it's kind of lengthy and I had to break my own 10k word limit in order to achieve it. Still, I can only hope that the wait was worth it, and that you enjoy the final concluding part of the Aranos prison arc for what it is, while I take a well deserved breather.

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"

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Chapter 34:

Prison Break Part II

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Thugs-4-Less Maximum Security Prison Vessel 'Tartarus', Aranos

Bogon Galaxy

G2.17.085 Galactic calendar

11:21am local time

"Ratchet, do copy? Come in!" Ellen yelled into her helmet's mike over the incoming torrent of automatic fire; pausing only to loose off a plasma grenade from her carbine's underslung launcher and switch channel before frantically reloading. "It's no good, I still can't get through!"

Worse still, there was still nothing but static on the other end; the same as the last half dozen times she had tried, and the thug's attacks were growing bolder by the minute. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Ellen had known her luck couldn't last forever, and it had been a small miracle that she had gotten away with so much up until this point. But even with her attempts at sabotaging their ability to respond, there were still an overwhelming number of mercenaries on board and actively hunting her down now that the alarm had been raised. Case in point being the squad she had quite literally run into after just arriving on deck six via elevator; the visor of her helmet swiftly meeting the chest plate of a half dressed merc as both parties rounded a corner.

Thankfully she already had her shotgun in hand at the time, and the brief confusion followed by an instinctive pull of the trigger at point blank range was enough to blow two of them off their feet while the rest scrambled for cover. Worse still, they had managed to call for back up before she could finish the rest off with a liberal amount of high explosives, and it was only a matter of time until she was pinned down by the rest and swamped through sheer force of numbers. Which was why she was trying to stay mobile while searching for any sign that Ratchet had already made it to this floor; praying that Angela's map was still accurate and that her own half-assed directions had been clear enough.

"Nor can we, I am afraid," Clank replied with a worried undertone, "There is however a distinct possibility that the signal is being actively jammed through some unknown means or otherwise too damaged to operate."

"Keep trying!" Dashing forward through a brief lapse of incoming fire, she snapped off a quick burst of her carbine at a thug whose head had been a little too exposed and pushed up against one of the evenly spaced pillars lining this particular corridor. "I'll do what I can on my end, but in the meantime, see if you can find out where they're keeping our ships."

Already ahead of you, Ellen_ Samus chimed in. Before we were locked out of the security system, the cameras picked up two Star Explorer class fighters parked under a bubble shield on the port flight deck. We're on our way there now_

"Nice work, you two," Ellen sighed with no small hint of relief. One that was rudely interrupted by a stun grenade landing beside her feet, before swiftly being punted back the way it came and detonating in mid-air with a localised electrical storm. "I'll meet you there once I've found Ratchet, and probably with half the damn mercs close behind, so make sure they're spooled up and ready to go."

"Understood, Ellen, and please, be careful," Clank returned. "We will contact you again once we have ascertained the situation."

'As careful as anyone can be while surrounded by trigger happy mercenaries,' she mused once the transmission had ceased; bolts of plasma peppering her cover while she blindly sprayed around it in return.

Of course that wasn't her only option, and with the sounds of pounding boots coming from down the opposite side of the corridor behind her, Ellen figured that now would be as good a time as any to start breaking out the heavy artillery. As with her previous tactics, she tossed out a spread of Megaturrets to help cover her rear while her Bouncer's aptly named sub-munitions blanketed the route ahead. This time however she was on the offensive; sprinting out of cover close and through the cluster bomb's aftermath before the thugs could adequately recover and letting her HK22 Gun's target-seeking missiles do all the talking.

Plasma bolts flying over her shoulder had Ellen ducking around the corner of a junction as the other group continued to close in from behind; a quick peek confirming that her automated sentries had done little more than slow them down, thanks to the shield-bearing enforcers soaking up the damage. She had neither the time nor ammo to constantly keep fighting these guys, whereas they only had to get lucky once in order to bring Ellen's fledgling commando career to a very permanent end, and there was a damn sight more of them than her. Given the circumstances, it was better to try and slip away for now until she could get some breathing space to search for Ratchet again.

Although that didn't mean she couldn't leave a few Spiderbot-shaped explosive surprises behind to help throw off the scent.

The next junction was suspiciously empty of any life, as was the next few random turns after that. But with the dull thump from one of her traps being triggered coming from behind and shadows playing across the walls further down yet another identikit corridor she had wound up in, any further hesitation was swiftly thrown out the window in favour of simply staying ahead of her pursuers. Bolting towards a heavy-looking sealed blast door off to one side and hammering the release button beside it, Ellen breathed a small sigh of relief when it swiftly opened with a hiss of compressed air and quickly darted inside the large cylindrical room within, only to freeze as it slammed down behind her and locked with a distinctive electronic warble, along with the other three visible exits.

What had once likely been some kind of water irrigation plant judging by some of the remaining infrastructure had been virtually stripped bare of any machinery, leaving little more than an empty shell that was disturbingly similar to the Galactic Gladiators arenas she had previously participated in. It was an image reinforced as a mixed cluster of MSR series robots dropped down from a quintet of recessed portals in the ceiling and began to close in; a malicious and borderline gloating voice filtering in from hidden speakers that crackled into life overhead. "Naughty, naughty, little mouse. You really didn't think I'd just let you waltz in here and steal back my new toy without repercussions now, did you?"

"Warden Crudelis, I presume?" Ellen growled out while backpedaling away; swiftly drawing her hand cannon and putting a single round through each machine's upper torso before thumbing the handgrip's detonator button with explosive results. "I was wondering when you'd decide to show your face."

"Indeed I am," the reptilian woman replied with audible smugness; neatly confirming her suspicion that there were microphones of some sort in here too. "While you, on the other hand, have proven to be quite the resourceful specimen when sufficiently motivated. I can almost see why my wonderful cousins were having so much trouble with such a slip of a girl."

A fresh batch of security robots dropped in followed by a cluster of older model blade balls, forcing Ellen on the back foot as she switched out to her Blitz Cannon and blasted the front runners with electrified buckshot. "Enough to kick their asses twice over," she opinioned between racking a fresh shell into the chamber and firing again; continuing to circle the room's perimeter all the while in order to stay one step ahead. "What makes you any different?"

Given the read she had gotten on Crudelis' reputation from both the sense of superiority in her voice and overheard conversations while infiltrating the ship, keeping her talking was the smart thing to do right now. The more time she spent gloating and feeding her own ego like some cliché Saturday morning cartoon villain, the less pressure there was on Ellen as the warden neglected to steamroller her with overwhelming forces in favour of dragging things out. In the meantime, all she had to do was continue to let the smug bitch think she had the upper hand until Ellen was in a position to yank the carpet out from beneath her. Which, if what she had spotted on the opposite side of the room was anything to go by, might be a lot sooner than not.

"Because unlike them, I know just how to deal with your kind. Which is why we're going to play a little game," the warden practically cooed as yet another wave of mechanised security forces dropped in to replace those lost, their flamethrower-equipped cousins in tow. "No more running and hiding, little mouse; so what say we see just how long you can last without your precious lombax there to save your worthless hide?"

"You know what I think?" Ellen asked rhetorically; rolling away from a trio of fireballs bracketing her position and using the Versa Blade's heated edge to cleave through a pair of blade balls that got too close. "You talk a lot of shit for a hypocritical bitch who's happy to hide behind her army of mercs and kill-bots rather than get her hands dirty. And besides..." Sending yet another shattered MSR to join those already decorating the floor, she brought Ratchet's Mini-Nuke to bear in one fluid motion; making sure that the surviving machines were a fair distance away before arching the barrel just so. "I've got a flight to catch."

"Wha- no!"

The oversized grenade launcher thumped and Crudelis began to screech with denial once the redhead's plan became obvious, but by then it was already far too late. The cheerfully yellow ball of doom arced merrily though the air; Ellen hitting the deck just as it impacted an MSR II in the chest and feeling a wave of heat from the scaled down nuclear blast wash over her but a few heartbeats later. Perhaps unsurprising, Ellen found there to be damn little left of her attackers once she had scrambled to her feet. But more importantly, the thick metal drainage cover she had previously spotted, and which they had been stood over, had been reduced to slag as well; allowing her to drop down into the narrow canal below and waddle through.

"Send in everything and take her down! Don't let that little markazian bitch get away!"

The warden's enraged voice gradually faded with each awkward, shuffling step in the ankle deep water, and only pitch black darkness seemed to await her beyond. But though she was only guided by the green hue of her helmet's night vision mode and the cramped walls themselves, Ellen felt strangely optimistic. Right up to the point the canal floor seemed to give way without warning and take her with it, that is.

Heart lodged firmly in mouth and spluttering against the sudden deluge of water all the while until her helmet sealed, there was damn little Ellen could do as she was helplessly carried down the overflow pipe to who knows where. The route twisted and turned back upon itself while continually spiralling ever downwards, her body slamming into the narrow tube's enclosed walls at every turn and likely accumulating some interesting new bruises in spite of her armour given the force of impact.

But ultimately the impromptu waterslide ride could only go so far, and so as the pipe began to level out and her helmet's night vision was briefly overwhelmed by the comparatively blinding light filtering in from somewhere up ahead, Ellen suddenly found herself violently ejected from the end at a fast clip. Briefly flailing through the air with a startled yell, she barely managed to catch a glimpse of something painfully orange in the suddenly much larger space beyond before crashing straight into it with a muffled grunt of pain; leaving her groaning and disoriented in the small channel of pungent water that ran across the floor.

Still, it could be worse, and at least whatever she had hit provided a relatively soft landing compared to smashing head first into the far wall at speed. Although there was something oddly familiar about the redhead's makeshift safety mat now that she thought about it, along with the fact that it felt distinctly warm, furry, and was currently moaning lowly. It wouldn't be until several long moments and failed attempts at getting her jumbled limbs to coordinate themselves however that Ellen finally discovered why; managing to lift her head up enough to focus upon just what, or rather whom, she was currently straddling with a strange sense of déjà vu.

"...Ratchet?"

"Wha... Ellen...?"

There was certainly no mistaking that voice or the distinctive emerald eyes that blinked back into focus upon her own; a knowing smirk quickly etching itself upon feline features that were marred by grime and what looked like splotches of machine oil. The same could be said of his now tattered and thoroughly soaked prison issue jumpsuit, most of which had traces of scorch marks and torn sections through which some particularly ugly-looking bruising was just barely visible in the dim overhead lighting. Though in spite of his condition and the fact he was currently pinned to the floor with sewage water soaking through what was left of his clothing in some rather unpleasant places, Ratchet couldn't help but Chuckle aloud.

"Well, this is famili- mmph!"

The lombax's words were abruptly cut off by Ellen's mouth suddenly pressing against his own with a sudden sense of desperation, eyes widening momentarily in surprise before closing as he returned the favour in kind. Lips parted to allow better access, Ratchet's solitary free hand snaking up and idly caressing a cheek with the pads of his fingers as their kiss deepened into something more passionate. For while absence undoubtedly makes the heart grow fonder, being forcibly separated as they were and unable to contact one another for days on end made for a lot of anxiety and tension which were only now beginning to find release.

All good things must inevitably come to an end however, and while she might wish it could last a little longer, the fact they were still right in the middle of enemy territory with who knows how many thugs hunting them down did tend to put things in perspective. So it was that she grudgingly broke off from their kiss and pulled back to gaze upon the lombax once more with a wistful sigh; a dry chuckle rising up from her throat at the slightly far away look upon his face. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting to do that, fuzz ball, but damn was it worth the wait."

"Aren't I always," Ratchet shot back with a typically feline grin; which faded along with his mood moments later with a venting sigh. "But seriously, Ellen, thanks for busting us out of here. I screwed up on Boldan, and if it hadn't been for you and your friend coming after us, me and Clank would probably still be stuck back in that cell right now. Or worse."

"Too bloody right," she faux scowled while prodding him none too gently in the chest with an errant finger. "So try and remember that the next time you decide to go running off into an obvious trap without thinking it out first."

Ratchet's grin returned in full force, a self-depreciating chuckle escaping his lips. "Believe me, babe, I'll try. Once was more than enough. But, uh... much as I appreciate the view, d'you mind letting me up anytime soon? Only my pants are kinda soaked through to the fur."

Along with the rest of his anatomy down below no doubt, which couldn't be comfortable given that the water channel was a good few inches deep and the furthest thing from hygienic. Flushing a little in embarrassment, Ellen promptly untangled herself from the jumbled mass of limbs before extending a hand to Ratchet and hauling him back up to his feet; sewer water running in rivulets from drenched fur and making her nose wrinkle at the smell. Suffice to say he would desperately need a shower once they were out of here, but right now Ratchet needed his gear back more than anything else, and thankfully there was a relatively dry cubby hole a short distance away in the enlarged sewer pipe they had found themselves within.

"Looks like a pretty dry spot. Now come on, let's get you of those wet clothes."

Ratchet blinked in surprise. "uh, babe? You know I'm up for anything, but this really isn't a good time for-"

"So you can change back into your armour, you numpty," she huffed with an exasperated roll of her eyes and a shove in the right direction; feeling the urge to facepalm all the while.

With Ellen having handed back his confiscated weapons and armour, the lombax swiftly made use of the limited space and began to strip off his tattered prison jumpsuit while she kept watch. For any hostiles trying to sneak up on them, that is, and certainly not sneaking a few appreciative glances at his sinuous, muscular frame, or the worrisome tapestry of obvious bruises and still bleeding cuts that weren't healed by the miracle of Nanotech for some reason. Had his own internal reserves run out? And just how much was from the guards prior 'attentions' as opposed to those accumulated while breaking out? Either way it made her blood boil and gave birth to some particularly dark thoughts; especially with regards to the warden that ran this place.

The sound of Ratchet sealing the clasps on his Gravity Boots brought her back to reality with a start, head snapping up in time to see him hop back down into muck with his commando helmet tucked under one arm and feline features etched into a concerned frown. "Hey, you okay?"

"Pretty sure I should be the one asking you that, fuzz ball," she sighed, before patting down the pouches on her utility belt and producing a phial of Nanotech. "Here, my last one. God knows you need it more than I do right now with what you went through."

Accepting it with a grateful smile, Ratchet cracked the transparent container's seal and let its contents wash over him; motes of blue light casting an ethereal glow over his frame for but a moment before disappearing altogether. Even after having experienced it first hand previously, it never ceased to amaze the human that something which could miraculously heal virtually any injury, disease, or condition, regardless of severity and with no side effects, was widespread enough to be considered little more than an everyday convenience. To think the very same stuff was currently swimming around inside her, and of how many lives it could potentially save back home on Earth...

"Oh yeah, that hit the spot," Ratchet groaned with approval; stretching out in a very feline fashion and feeling the joints pop back into place "Thanks, babe. Appreciate it."

"You're welcome, fuzz ball," she shot back with a fond smile and a pat on the shoulder, before retrieving her hand cannon and checking the clip was full. "Now, what do you say we start looking for a way out of here before the thugs find us again?"

The lombax simply hefted his Heavy Lancer in return, trademark smirk lodged firmly in place as the pair began to make their way further into the sewage drainage system and towards the source of its slow moving current. "Thought you'd never ask."

The going however was fairly slow at best, their boots noisily sloshing through a myriad of ankle deep, waste strewn water and forcing the pair to stop every so often in order to listen out for any approaching enemies. Not to mention the distinct lack of obvious exit points along their winding route, other than the much smaller pipes higher up towards the ceiling that ran off from the main branch every dozen or so yards. Or the fact that whatever material the surrounding sewer pipe was made of seemed to be actively blocking any shortwave communications, and thus prevented either commando from contacting their companions; leaving them little other choice than to keep pushing forward and hope for the best.

As they began to crest yet another bend in this seemingly never-ending tunnel however, Ratchet froze as his ears perked up at the faint sounds of metal striking metal and muffled cursing coming from somewhere up ahead. Gesturing for Ellen to be quiet and stick close, he didn't wait for her affirming nod before they continued forth at a much more cautious pace with Heavy Lancer and hand cannon ready to fire at the slightest hint of any potential foe. Every step was fraught with tension; senses straining for the slightest hint of danger as they gradually edged around the corner and into a much larger and drier, rectangular chamber just beyond, only to stop and stare in surprised disbelief at the sight before them.

Bent down over a jumbled network of outlet pipes was the plus-sized rump of an all too familiar novalian; his exceptionally broad frame clad in brown overalls over a white tank top, while a thick arm topped by short black spikes searched questingly along the floor beside him. "Dadblasted thing! Now, where did I leave that sprocket wrench...?"

The pair slowly began to lower their weapons as they approached with a slight sense of bewilderment

"Hey, you don't think..." Ellen began with a questioning look towards Ratchet, who merely shook his head with a chuckle in return.

"It's gotta be," he mused with a mirthful grin that only grew as they continued to approach, gesturing towards the significant posterior before them with his thumb. "Besides, I'd recognise that ass anywhere."

As if on cue, the Plumber stood back up to his full height with a faint groan and worked the kinks out of his back before turning around to face them once the pair got within a few feet; eyes lighting up in recognition and a jovial smile gracing his bearded face. "Oh, hey, it's you two again! Say, you haven't seen my- Oh, wait, there it is."

He paused to bend down and retrieve a worn-looking tool lying at his feet with some difficulty thanks to his girth, and Ellen couldn't help but wonder whether this was just some strange coincidence or if there was some other force at play. Seriously, what were the odds on meeting him in an otherwise uninhabited section aboard this particular ship, which just so happened to be an entirely different galaxy away? Something astronomical she would imagine, and yet here he was crossing their path in the strangest of places once again.

"Can't say that I'm not glad to see a friendly face," Ellen began as he stood back up with grunt, "but what exactly are you doing here of all places, and in this galaxy?"

"I can't control where things break, I just fix 'em," the Plumber opinioned with a shrug, before gesturing towards a dull red-painted toolbox nearby with his free hand. "Pass me that number seven spanner, would you?"

"Uh, yeah, sure..." Ratchet padded across the short distance and plucked the required tool from the top of the surprisingly well organised toolbox, offering it handle first to the Plumber's outstretched hand and receiving a grateful murmur in return as he continued to work. "But couldn't the thugs have found someone, y'know, local to-"

For someone his size, the novalian certainly knew how to move when he wanted to; whipping around faster than either commando could blink with a finger held up to lips in a universally recognised gesture. "Shhhhh!"

His eyes darted around conspiratorially as if in search of hidden observers that clearly weren't there, voice lowering further still as he leaned into their personnel space. "I know that, you know that, but they don't. Heck, I'm getting triple time and travel expenses just for the callout alone. Still not sure how these pipes got so blocked up in the first place though..." The last part was murmured with a thoughtful look and a finger tapping on his bearded chin, before turning a curious eye towards Ellen. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

"...No?" she replied all too innocently, ignoring the odd look Ratchet was giving her in favour of keeping a straight face.

"Well, it was worth a shot." The Plumber merely shrugged it off before turning back towards his work, downing tools and reaching back towards the dirt encrusted outlet pipe he had been working on before proceeding to shove his arm up to the hilt inside its narrow confines with a disturbingly wet squelch. "Anyway, let's see what we've got here..."

Ellen couldn't help but retch at the disgusting sound with Ratchet not looking far behind as he continued to rummage around with a brow furrowed in concentration. "Consarn it... Ah! Here's the problem!"

So saying, he pulled his arm back out with a predominantly green object in hand and a film of slurry covering both; the pair taking an involuntary step back and Ratchet vocalising for both of them as Ellen tried not to lose her lunch at the pungent smell. "Ew, gross! What the hell is that thing anyway?"

"Look at this," the Plumber scowled while holding his prize aloft. "Some dad burn fool flushed this perfectly good Qwark action figure."

Sure enough, now that they could stand to actually looking at without wanting to puke, the crap-covered statuette was indeed a miniature replica of the man flexing his biceps in a typically 'heroic' pose. It actually looked surprisingly well made too, like the kind of over expensive memorabilia pieces that often decorated the shelves of certain fans that simply just had to have everything, and probably cost a pretty penny when new. Quite why somebody would want to flush something like this down the toilet, let alone how it even fitted in the first place, was likely something that would never be truly explained. Then again, neither was the Plumber's next question.

"Sure, it's a little ripe, but just look at that craftsmanship," he continued while inspecting it up close, before turning his attention back to the pair with a hopeful smile. "You wanna buy it?"

"Nah, we're good thanks," Ellen began only to momentarily pause in thought; a vindictive smile twitching at her lips as she continued. "Although, now that I think about, there is someone we know who might be interested."

"We do?" Ratchet blinked, turning a questioning gaze towards her and receiving a knowing look in return. Eyes widening a little in realisation and snickering slightly as he brought up his Wrist Com. "Oh, yeah, I guess we do. Guy's a huge Qwark fan, and I'll bet he'll jump at the chance for something like this. Here, I'll send you the details."

The Plumber looked at his own device as it chimed and read the sent note with a raised brow. "Todano, eh? Well, thanks for the tip. I'll send off a message once I'm done here."

"No problem," Ratchet replied with a wave of his hand. "Although, while we're here..."

"You wouldn't happen to know the fastest way to the port flight deck by any chance?" Ellen continued, watching hopefully as the novalian scratched his chin in thought once more.

"Matter of fact, I think I do." Thick blue digits danced across a holographic interface, proceeding an alert and subsequent data package as the Auto Mapper function on both human and lombax's own Wrist Coms updated automatically. "There we go, that should get you pointed in the right direction."

Checking the location and placing a navigation marker for them to follow, Ellen turned her attention back towards the enigmatic handyman with a grateful smile. "Thanks again, for everything, but I'm afraid we've got to keep moving. Take care, and who knows, maybe we'll run into each other again someday."

"Oh, I'm sure we will, little Miss," the Plumber chuckled with a fond smile. Waving goodbye to the two commandos as they resumed their journey and beginning to pack up his tools. "Well, guess I'll be seeing you in a few years time, or whenever the sequel comes out anyhow."

Pausing in mid-step with a mutually confused expression as his words sank in, the pair slowly spun around with a question forming on their lips only to find the man already a dozen feet away and heading back the way they came before disappearing out of sight. Somewhat weirded out but not exactly in a position to investigate further given the situation, they continued further into the sewer tunnel network at a subdued pace while following the nav-marker projected upon their respective helmet's HUD in silence for but a few moments before Ellen spoke up. "What do you think he meant by that?"

"No idea, babe, no idea," Ratchet sighed with a shake of his head, feeling just as put out himself. Or at least that is until the encounter reminded him of something else he'd been meaning to get answers to. "Say, you never did tell me what the deal was with that gas from earlier. Wanna share?"

The sudden snort of mirth and barely suppressed giggling caused him to raise a brow. Although to be fair, he was no better off once Ellen started recounting her earlier sabotage attempt, and especially once she got round to its unintentionally long reaching consequences; the By the time the redhead was through they were both nearly doubled over and crying with laughter; the last several hours worth of built up tension gradually fading away and leaving them both feeling a damn sight better for it as they forged ahead with a much more hopeful spring in their step. In fact, they were still feeding off of each other's stifled sniggering a good five minutes later, only to quickly sober once the sounds of sloshing water and muted voices echoed forth from somewhere up ahead.

There wasn't exactly anywhere they could hide in such an enclosed environment and Ellen's box trick wouldn't exactly stand up to scrutiny a second time in a place like this, meaning that there was only one real course of action available to them without retreating and potentially being heard in turn. Which was why the pair took up crouched positions in the ankle-high muck flowing through the sewer tunnel and kept their respective heavy weapons trained on the gently sloping bend up ahead, high powered beams from equally powerful flashlights already clawing through the dark and casting twisting shadows every which way as they encroaching closer still with each passing second.

A heartbeat passed and then two more, before the leading thugs slowly came into view with their rifles held at the ready; continuing to slog through the congealed mess that clogged the channel running along the tunnel's length and sweeping the area ahead with their weapon-mounted flashlights. Or at least that is until one inevitably caught the metallic glint of something in the enveloping darkness and promptly highlighted it with his strobing beam, only to find the tinted visors from a pair of indistinct figures and the ridiculously overpowered weapons they had pointing directly his way.

"Got 'em! They're right-"

A maelstrom of detonations silenced the rest of his sentence and squad in its entirety as multiple cluster bombs blanketed them while a Mini Nuke finished the job. Gratuitous overkill perhaps, but unfortunately necessary given how pressed for time the two commandos were if they wanted to get off this hulking vessel alive. Which in turn meant immediately rushing forward and through whatever was left of the mercs, hoping to back trace their insertion point into the sewers and use it to get topside before the explosions could attract any more unwanted attention.

Something that was proving to be a nigh impossible task given the sheer numbers Crudelis had dedicated to hunting them down, a trio of MSRs greeting them almost immediately around the next corner and just barely managing to duck back out of the way before a wall of flames scoured everything in sight. An explosive spam from their as yet underused Bomb Gloves certainly helped to soften the machines up a little, or at least enough for Ratchet to charge back into the fray with Ellen close behind; shotgun blasting one apart at nigh point blank range while a sustained electrical discharge from his Tesla Claw soon overwhelmed the rest.

They really didn't have time for this, and with the increasing number of distant shouts and heavy footfalls reverberating from further down the tunnel network plus limited ammo, it was pretty clear that they would be swarmed unless an exit was swiftly found. Which turned out to be a lot closer than either expected if the Auto Mapper was anything to go by, for just off the left branch of a T-junction they had just reached was supposed to be an inspection hatch allowing access from the deck above. Something that was quickly confirmed upon catching sight of a fresh trooper squad using it to drop down into the muck below, their armoured forms easily visible and subsequently picked off with well placed rocket fire thanks to the wide shaft of light illuminating them from overhead.

From there it was simply a case of Ellen using her Grapple Gun to reel herself in and up through the hole into whatever lay beyond, Ratchet quickly following suit moments later with a few carefully timed bounces off of the sewer walls and an outstretched arm helping to haul him topside. A brief check revealed them to be in some kind of vehicle hanger, and judging by the guttural shouts followed by plasma fire splashing against the metal crates nearby, it was pretty obvious that they wouldn't be getting past what looked to be a fairly large guard contingent here without a fight. A rocket screaming overhead sending them diving apart and into cover before retaliating in kind with whatever came to hand.

The only real good news was that their communications appeared to be working once again, and as Ratchet began to liberally hose those thugs using the surrounding catwalk as a vantage point with his heavy Lancer, Ellen tried to re-establish contact with their robotic companions while picking off those carrying heavy weapons with her sniper rifle. Hoping that both were safe and having a damn sight better luck with reaching their Star Explorers than they were right now.

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From beneath a heavily laden down grav-sled, parked near the inner most edge of the Tartarus' port flight deck, two pairs of glowing green and blue optics watched over the surrounding area with a growing sense of unease. For all around them were the signs of a private military contractor preparing to weather an all out assault; dozens of thugs taking up defensive positions around clustered cargo crates while more poured in to join them by the minute. Several heavy weapon emplacements were being dispersed in-between each group while those with high-powered rifles took to the mesh-plated stairs nearby, leading up to an overarching catwalk just out of sight where they could no doubt have a clear line of sight on anyone that dared to cross their path below.

All in all it was shaping up for all appearances to be an almost impregnable wall of steel to blunt any foe, and Clank was quite honestly unsure whether his organic companions would be able to breach it even with their penchant for overcoming overwhelming odds. Which left small hope for Samus and himself given how vigilant the enemy was, leaving them stuck underneath the first piece of concealment they could find after finally exiting an easily opened ventilation grille on to the flight deck itself and unable to risk moving elsewhere for fear of being spotted, let alone get anywhere remotely close to their objective.

Which was why it was with no small relief that Clank's optics lit up upon hearing an all too welcome voice crackling through the radio link they all shared; Samus visibly perking up and floating in closer as he attempted to finely tune out the background static. "Clank, Samus, are you there? Can you hear me?"

"Reading you loud and clear, Ellen," he responded in hushed tones, lest the surrounding troops heard him. "And might I say it is good to hear your voice again. We have been unable to contact you for the past fourteen minutes and were about to assume the worst. Were you... able to locate Ratchet?"

"Right here, pal," the lombax's warm voice filtered through apologetically. Although the fact his words were marred by a constant background of gunfire was somewhat concerning. "Sorry to keep you waiting, but things have been kind of hectic on our end and this is the first chance we've had to get a decent signal since getting out of those damn sewers."

That would certainly help explain as to why they were unable to establish contact, although Clank couldn't help but wonder what precisely his organic friends were doing in a sewer system to begin with. Shaking his helm to disperse the notion in favour of relaying the necessary information before communications could potentially breakdown once again. "Thank goodness you are alright, although I fear that the situation is becoming ever more critical with each passing minute. There are a significant number of armed thugs already occupying the port flight deck and more reinforcements inbound as we speak, leaving us unable to move from concealment and access the ships at present without attracting undue attention. Where exactly are you?"

His answer came in a rather explosive fashion; a mass pressure wave blasting across the deck and sending most of those present not already behind cover sprawling, while a pair of twenty foot tall reinforced steel warehouse doors tumbled end on end across its length and scythed through their ranks. Thanks to their mechanical nature and being much further away from the initial blast zone, Clank and Samus were much quicker to recover than most present, and so among the first to bear witness to a widely grinning lombax stood within the now wide open warehouse entrance. A still smoking grenade launcher held aloft in one hand while burning fragments from some sort of fuel cell lay scattered around him as an exasperated Ellen joined his side.

"Knock, knock!"

"...Never mind," Clank sighed before casting a glimpse towards Samus, who was in turn watching with wide optics as the pair began to mercilessly push forward and open up on the surviving mercs in concert. "Come Samus, we should be able to gain access to the flight deck control room while the thugs are distracted. Hopefully we will be able to disable the shield from there."

R-right..._

---

{()}

---

"Did you seriously have to blow up a truck full of hydrogen fuel cells, fuzz ball?" Ellen yelled out over the increasing din of battle. Sticking a deployed heavy plasma turret with one of her carbine's underslung-launched grenades and ducking down behind a nearby piece of fallen catwalk as it detonated violently. "It's a miracle the blast didn't kill us, along with everyone else inside."

"Well it worked, didn't it?" he shouted back while ducking beneath the descending rifle butt of an enterprising merc, before rolling away and setting his ass on fire with the Meteor Gun. "And besides, it's got their attention while Clank and Samus do their thing."

All true enough perhaps, but it didn't alter the fact his reckless stunt had pretty much gutted the warehouse interior and almost took them along with it; the two of them only surviving thanks to making use of a parked heavy transport craft as an impromptu shield at the very last second. The thugs they had previously been engaging on the other hand weren't so lucky; a majority being caught up in the initial blast radius or otherwise wiped out by the resulting pressure wave as multiple containers of fuel, ammo, and volatile materials cooked off one after another. All of which added to the sheer shock value of their subsequent assault once the doors had been blown off entirely, which in itself was probably the only reason they weren't getting shot to pieces right now.

Meaning that they needed to keep the pressure on and make sure that the mercs could only engage them piecemeal as opposed to coordinating a response; every second they controlled the flow of battle buying precious time for their companions to reach the control room in one piece. Switching over to her Vaporizer once more, Ellen attempted to pick off any thug sharpshooters taking potshots from the raised catwalk running above the flight deck's control room, while her deployed turrets continued to rain fire on anyone who got in range. A luminous green vapour trail briefly stabbing out and punching straight through the upper chest of one unfortunate sniper before a second forced her back into cover with hail of hastily aimed, high velocity rifle rounds.

Ratchet meanwhile was putting his natural agility to full use in such an open environment and constantly staying mobile; prioritising any heavy weapons platforms which survived their initial assault with a Mini-Nuke apiece, before switching over to his Heavy Lancer and putting its shock mod enhanced rounds to good use on any groups that crossed his path. By now the remaining thugs had begun to regroup and present a more united front, but in spite of their efforts it was too little, too late. Especially once Ellen began to bracket their positions with bouncing cluster bomblets from afar, having finished cleaning out the snipers, and allowing the lombax to easily flank and spam them with explosives courtesy of his Bomb Glove.

Before they knew it, the flight deck was still with not a soul left in sight. Bodies and burning debris surrounding the duo on all sides and leaving a clear run towards their easily visible ships across the far side, still parked beneath an active bubble shield that showed no sign of collapsing anytime soon. Ratchet resting his LMG across one shoulder as he observed the carnage with slight frown. "Huh... Y'know, I was kinda expecting a little more than that. Hey, Clank, how's that shield coming along?"

"Rather slowly, I am afraid," the distracted sounding little robot replied a moment later over their shared radio link. "While Samus and myself have successfully managed to gain entry to the control room and secure it against any external access, it would appear that the relevant console for controlling the shield has been locked with an unusually heavy encryption sequence. Successfully bypassing it may take some time."

Which didn't bode well in Ellen's eyes, mainly because she was starting to think that Ratchet was right. This all felt far too easy, and given prior experience, merely a prelude to something going very, very wrong.

As if to prove the point, a sudden rumbling of machinery from beneath their feet preceded a central portion of the flight deck splitting apart at a steady pace; the two halves continuing to recess into the surrounding metal plating with an accompanying blaring klaxon as they opened to reveal an oversized elevator shaft. One that looked a lot like those used by Earth-bound aircraft carriers, with a matching lift platform that sounded like it was struggling a little for reasons that soon became apparent once it came into view.

For rising from the depths came what at first glance appeared to be a gigantic, nigh thirty feet tall variant of the MSR series of security robots they had previously fought; albeit clearly being a manned platform and sporting a curiously lavender paint job with deep purple highlights. Its much thicker but still pincer-like, quad legs supporting a comparatively small but heavily armoured tandem cockpit that looked like it had been ripped straight from a gunship being proof enough, even without being able to see the occupants sat in their gunner-pilot arrangement behind tinted and no doubt heavily armoured glass.

Instead of arms, the machine sported a pair of tri-barrelled rotary cannons mounted alongside the cockpit in fixed hardpoints, while twin elongated pods protruded from either side of an integrated backpack unit at a thirty degree angle. Each with three obvious hexagonal launch ports that gave off a dull throbbing blue light at regular pulses. Some kind of missile or mortar system perhaps? Not that it really mattered either way given how lethal they likely were. Add to that the fact there was precious little cover in such an open environment, plus the dwindling nature of their own ammo reserves, and the two commandos knew they were about to be in for a rough time.

Especially given the pilot's questionable mental state and penchant for sadism; the spider tank's external loudspeakers clearly broadcasting her condescending words as it took measured step forward. "Leaving so soon, when the fun has only just begun? Why for shame, Mr Lombax, and after providing such entertainment for me as well."

"See? Totally called it," Ratchet nodded sagely towards his partner. "If videogames have taught me anything, it's that you can't have an epic escape like this without a boss fight."

Ellen's disbelieving look said otherwise, and if anything else, Crudelis didn't seem like the type to take being ignored lightly if the evident rising growl in her voice was anything to go by. "But all good things must come to an end, and while hunting you and the hussy has proven to be quite exhilarating, the damage you've caused to my ship and reputation can not go unpunished. After all, I can't have Logan looking down on me for failing to contain a few soon-to-be inmates, which leaves but one choice for you to make. Surrender to my tender mercies and spend the rest of your miserable existence in a cell, or feel my wrath as I crush your mind, body, and soul all over the deck, right here and now."

Left unsaid was the sheer number of mercs and machines the pair had mowed their way through, although Ellen got the distinct impression that Crudelis didn't care about anyone other than herself, or rather what could better facilitate her career. A ship-wide prison break certainly couldn't help with that, and having already needled her ego once before, the redhead had a pretty good idea as to exactly what buttons to press when it came to royally pissing her off. Hopefully enough to goad the woman into doing something stupid and leaving her wide open to retaliation.

"As if you could," she snorted dismissively. Displaying an outward sense of nonchalance while internally preparing to sprint for cover at second's notice. "Face it, you're nothing without your mercs and robots. Hell, I'll bet the only reason Logan shoved you out here in the first place is because you're too weak and pathetic to be a part of his other operations. Am I right?"

"YOU TAKE THAT BACK, YOU LITTLE BITCH!" the warden screeched through the external speakers; her sense of confidence shattered entirely and replaced with little more than unadulterated rage as her machine suddenly surged forward. "I'LL SHOW YOU WHO'S PATHETIC AND WEAK ONCE I'VE TORN YOU TO PIECES!"

'Well that got her attention.'

The spider tank's cannons quickly spun up and roared their defiance, forcing the human and lombax to spilt in opposite directions as heavy calibre rounds punched fist-sized holes across the deck plating they had just vacated. Spraying rounds over his shoulder as he ran, Ratchet dropped into a sliding tackle that carried him into what meagre cover could be offered by a fire damaged shipping container, only to find that he wasn't being fired upon in return. The walker's main body having swung around to follow Ellen instead with a thunderous barrage nipping at her heels while its legs began to strafe sideways in an effort to cut her off.

"Ratchet," Clank's voice worriedly filtered into his ear, "it would appear we have a problem."

"Yeah, I'm looking at it!" he shouted back while jamming down the trigger. Hoping to draw the warden's attention off of his partner, only to find that his rounds were absorbed well away from spider tank's body by a rippling blue bubble that briefly shimmered into existence with each impact. "What the- It's got shields too?!"

That's an MX-41 Landstalker; an advanced prototype designed by Megacorp for urban warfare and pacification._ Samus supplied, much to his surprise. It's main standout features are a target-seeking multiple plasma mortar system and personal defence shield that is supposedly impervious to virtually all small arms fire._

"How'd you know that?" Rockets began to explode against the shield bubble at a steady rate, but still didn't seem to cause any notable damage. "Heck, where did they get one in the first place?"

"Who the hell cares?!" Ellen yelled while trying to put a small stack of crates between herself and the Landstalker. Pausing long enough to let loose a volley of HK22 Gun missiles, only for a volley of bullets to shred it apart and continue to chase her flagging form. "How are we supposed to kill it?!"

"I am... unsure," Clank continued hesitantly. "Assuming the Landstalker does not have sufficient defences against such an attack, it may be possible to temporarily overwhelm it with an electromagnetic pulse. Thus disabling the shield and allowing the use of more conventional weapons to damage the main body."

"Which of course we don't have," Ratchet countered dryly. Crudelis having finally gotten tired of the constant plinking at her shield and opted to focus on him instead. 'Or do we...?'

The Landstalker's mortar launch ports began to glow ominously and Ratchet immediately bolted; lances of superheated plasma arcing in mid-flight to follow as they rained down around his fleeing form. But while he circled around the machine's bulk with Ellen taking the opportunity to spray its shield with her Reaver and a torrent of bullets following in his wake, the lombax reached down to his Quick Select with a half baked plan in mind. Because while neither commando had any kind of convenient weapon for disabling electronics, if Clank was right, then he might well have the next best thing to hand.

With that in mind, Ratchet raised the barrel of his upgraded grenade launcher while continuing to circle the Landstalker and held it steady in spite of the sheer amount of fire being directed his way. A brief thump signalling the Mini-Nuke arcing gracefully through the air, before impacting on the shield with a characteristic, scaled down mushroom cloud a half dozen feet away from the cockpit itself with surprisingly effective results.

For while it had been a bit stretch to consider, the Mini-Nuke was ultimately just a much smaller nuclear weapon with a deliberately limited blast radius, and as such produced the same side effects as its much larger cousins. Up to and including radiation, extreme heat within the blast radius, and of course, a localised EMP that would destroy virtually all unhardened and active electronic systems at the point of impact. Such as the Landstalker's personal shield which even now was flickering and shorting with power; a follow up Mini-Nuke finishing the job and causing the machine's joints to seize up with a surge of electricity.

"Wha- move, damn you!" Crudeliis cursed with a rabid snarl of frustration; the two commandos wasting no time in raking her now inert walking tank with a combination of automatic fire and high explosives that rocked both her and the co-pilot in their seats. "Whiskey team, I need back up now!"

As if to punctuate her words, the recognisable form of a Thugs-4-Less dropship thundered in from further off the port flight deck before hovering in place and disgorging its cargo; a dozen or so thugs of varying types with MSRs in tow quickly scattering for the nearest scrap of cover before opening fire with gusto. It was a distraction the two commandos really could have done without right now; forcing them to split their attention between the rapidly moving mercs attempting to keep them pinned down while advancing in leaping bounds and the soon to be recovering Landstalker as its legs began to sluggishly flex once more.

Opting to deal with the more immediate threat, Ellen put her Bouncer to good use in blanketing the thug's predicted route with a hail of exploding sub-munitions; catching two in the open and opening up a path for Ratchet, who promptly rounded his shredded cover at a dead sprint towards the nearest foe. The clearly surprised trooper barely managed to get off more than a few wide shots before his rifle was knocked aside with a flung wrench, followed by a golden-furred blur dashing under his guard and unleashing a flurry of punishing strikes that culminated in an uppercut that left him seeing stars.

A second merc opened up just as his friend was slumping to the deck, and having recovered his first wrench, Ratchet wasted no time in bouncing off a nearby fuel container and getting stuck in. Using it as a springboard to gain some height, before delivering a descending hammer blow from both weapons that shattered the thug's helmet, and likely his thick skull as well if the force of impact was anything to go by. Rolling upon impact with the deck plating once more, the third was upon him almost immediately with a truly massive knife in one hand and sidearm in the other; the lombax parrying a rising slash with one wrench while the other sang forth in an effort to keep the pistol out of play.

Ellen meanwhile had taken out a majority of her attackers with spammed cluster bombs and since fallen back on her shotgun; the need to conserve ammo for dealing with the Landstalker tempered by the remaining thugs having pinned her down and gotten far too close for comfort. Case in point being the enforcer that came pounding around the mangled section of gantry she was hunkered down behind, his extended shield held aloft in one hand while the other swung an electrified baton directly at her face, only for the redhead to drop on to her back and unload both barrels at point blank range.

Something that merely cause him to stagger while the hard light projection absorbed most of the blast, but that didn't stop the next three rounds of crackling buckshot from shattering it entirely and most of his chest plate's ablative layer along with it. Rolling over and scrambling back to her feet, Ellen was just about to deliver the finishing blow when the clanking of metal and hydraulics in unison snapped her attention back to the now recovered Landstalker as it powered up and into battle once again with a triumphant cry over its external speakers. Barely managing to vault over her cover and sprint away across the deck as a volley of mortar fire painted the deck where she had stood scant seconds before, along with anyone else caught in the blast.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!"

The redhead's trail of panicked curses were followed by a relentless barrage of bullets as Crudelis gave chase once more; tearing through deck plating and what little cover remained with impunity and leaving her just barely able to keep ahead. Although from what Ratchet could tell, it seemed more like a deliberate strategy to keep Ellen moving in the desired direction rather than to actually hit her. Almost like a predatory animal toying with its prey, which given the warden's previous behaviour and subsequent sickly sweet tone, was probably exactly what the woman intended. "That's it, little mouse; run like the vermin you are! After all, what is a hunt without a little sport?"

Well he wasn't going to let that kind of crap fly, and especially since he had the solution immediately to hand with an upswung barrel of his oversized grenade launcher sighting on the pair as they came closer. Or at least that was until the Landstalker immediately switched targets and swivelled its body around to spray the lombax's position instead, continuing to pursue his partner all the while and forcing him to duck back into cover with a startled yelp in order to avoid being cut in half.

"Hey, uh, Clank?" Ratchet asked leadingly with a wince as the haphazard stack of metal containers he was he hunkered down behind were rapidly being turned into so much confetti. "We could really use our ship's firepower right about now."

"That is what I was trying to tell you before," came the exasperated reply through his helmet's internal speakers. "The area denial shield can not be completely shutdown from this terminal without an override key. With Samus to assist however, I may however be able to temporarily override it sufficiently and remotely link with one of our ships; allowing a limited window to make use of its weapon systems"

"Which I'm betting queen bitch over there has on her right now," Ellen managed between breaths as she continued to weave through the maze of wreckage left scattered across the deck by their battle; the odd plasma mortar strike keeping her constantly on the run. "Isn't there anything you can do from there? Anything at all?"

"There... is a possibility," Clank hesitantly mused. "By manipulating energy consumption and alternating frequencies, it may be possible to temporarily override it and remotely link with one of our ships; thus allowing Samus and myself a limited window in which to make use of its weapon systems."

"Sounds like a plan, pal," Ratchet added with a smirk while trading out his current weapon for the Tesla Claw. "Let's make it happen."

So saying, he quickly bolted out of cover and almost immediately drew the bulk of Crudelis' fire once more; the warden clearly seeing him and the EMP causing Mini-Nuke he wielded as the greater threat. The Landstalker's cannons began to glow with constant use as a never-ending stream of bullets chased him and a full payload of semi-homing mortar fire decimated everything else in their wake. But while the constant stream of artificial lightning from Ratchet's Tesla Claw did little more than cause a continual rippling of arcing electricity across the machine's shield, it did provide an adequate smokescreen for Ellen to reverse course and charge back into the fray with her Leviathan in hand and the beginnings of a desperate plan.

Because while the Landstalker's shield seemed to absorb pretty much everything they could throw at it, there had to be a limit somewhere; a selective permeability so that it could fire any onboard weapons and legs could actually gain traction in the first place, rather than skid helplessly in what amounted to a giant hamster ball. Which, she hoped, also extended to much slower moving objects than incoming artillery; such as terrain features, weather effects, and a certain redheaded girl who couldn't help but think this was a really bad idea.

Yet she continued to push forwards regardless at a dead sprint, and by the time either of the crew had registered her presence on the cockpit's proximity sensor array, it was already far too late. The projected shield parting way with a brief tug of resistance as Ellen dropped into a slide beneath the machine's stomping legs and brought her hand cannon to bear in a two-handed grip on the closest limb. The Leviathan bucked six times before she ran out of momentum and scrambled to get away, barely dodging a vicious stomp from one of the spider tank's forelegs and tripping over the sprawled body of an enforcer in her effort to get back out of range, before thumbing the pistol grip's additional little red button.

For while her hurried fanning of the trigger had seen a number of shots miss or otherwise ping off thicker portions of the Landstalker's armour, a majority were now firmly wedged into exposed inner sections of its much more delicate leg hydraulics; modified explosive-tipped heads tearing them apart in a chain of explosions that rendered the limb little more than dead weight. More importantly however, it also caused the machine to over balance and crew to cease firing in favour of fighting to regain control. Which in turn gave Ratchet all the incentive needed to bring his Mini-Nuke to bear once more with a yelled warning and a pair of distinctive thumps, twin mini mushroom clouds blossoming on impact with the already sparking shield and causing it collapse entirely.

"Gah! I'll get you for that, you little bitch; and the lombax too! Send in everything we have left and take them down!"

The two commandos wasted no time in rolling out the biggest guns they had in an effort to finally end the Landstalker once and for all, or at least cripple it further before any more back up arrived to run interference. Not exactly fair perhaps, but exploiting any such weakness was essential if they wanted to survive this encounter and escape in one piece. A constant rain of rockets, bombs, and missiles tore into the already battered machine's hull as it lay slumped and damaged it further still; blowing off one of the side-mounted rotary cannons altogether and even beginning to crack the reinforced canopy glass itself through sheer volume of fire.

But then the dropship came back around once more followed closely by another; a mixed contingent of mercs and machines dropping practically on top of the pair and forcing them to split their fire as a ferocious firefight broke out across the flight deck once again. Ellen barely having time to leap back and draw her shotgun as a chainsaw MSR slammed down where she had been standing but a split second previously, before meeting the machine's inevitable charge with a nigh point blank concentration of electrified buckshot that blew it into so much scrap metal. A second followed by one of its flamethrower-wielding cousins following shortly thereafter as she continued to rack the slide with each thunderous shell expended.

Ratchet meanwhile was dealing with his own downpour of angry troopers and stoic enforcers surrounding him on all sides, the former laying down covering fire for the latter as they charged forth with shields soaking up fire and hurled grenades attempting to flush him out. But the lombax was a highly mobile kind of fighter if nothing else, and chaotic situations such as this were where he excelled over those not gifted with his species' almost supernaturally fast reactions and agility. A nigh vertical jump followed by a somersaulting backflip over the closest assailant's heads being a case in point, as he manifested the familiar, squat-looking form of the Sheepinator in one hand and held down the trigger with an almost anticipatory grin upon his face.

Having an effectively limitless ammo capacity and no firing delay made the Sheepinator an ideal choice for crowd control, and in a situation like this, Ratchet couldn't help but be thankful that he'd traded his HK22 Gun for it back on Boldan. First one thug then another succumbed to the constant glowing stream of swirling particles, leaving a pair of bewildered fluffy sheep standing in their place the moment his commando boots hit solid ground once more. The lombax barely pausing for a heartbeat before immediately launching him sideways before a burst of plasma fire could hit home and continuing to sweep the beam across anyone else that crossed his path while pivoting in mid-air.

He was just about to lay into a third group consisting primarily of plasma cannon-packing brutes when a green vapour trail punched through the lead thug's exposed neck area; head snapping towards the source as the rest scrambled for cover and immediately tracing it back to Ellen's still smouldering sniper rifle as she shifted aim and fired again. Which in itself turned out to be an exceptionally lucky break, since his quick glance had also revealed an enforcer attempting to flank the redhead from one side while her vision was limited by the scope's narrow field of view; the lombax returning the favour in spades with repeated use of his rocket launcher and getting a grateful, if startled wave in turn.

The tide was slowly but surely starting to turn, and between some smart use of debris formed chokepoints plus liberal use of high explosives, victory seemed all but assured. Which, of course, is exactly when Murphy decided to have his say in the form of a maimed but otherwise fully operational Landstalker; its supremely pissed off pilot making herself known as she levelled all surviving weapons on the suddenly outgunned pair once more. "Forget the cells, you two are far more trouble than you're worth!"

"Clank...?" Ratchet began as the mortar tubes began to emit a now familiar blue glow; both Ellen and himself not daring to take their eyes off it as they slowly backed away. "Any time now would be good."

"Still working on it," he replied distractedly. "A few more minutes and we should have a viable window."

"You... might want to hurry that up," Ellen hazarded while reaching down to her Quick Select; only for her next words to falter under the sheer firepower and tone of pure hatred Crudelis sent their way.

"There will be no escape, no forgiveness for this... humiliation you have visited upon me. Only the inevitability of grinding your soon to be desecrated corpses beneath my feet as I rip you apart! Now... DIE!"

"...Oh crap."

The mortar launchers emptied in the blink of an eye, its deadly cargo indiscriminately bombarding a wide swathe of the flight deck with an explosive rain of plasma that sent Ratchet and Ellen scrambling in opposite directions at a dead sprint as it bracketed their suddenly much more precarious position. Something that wasn't helped by the Landstalker's remaining rotary cannon spraying high velocity, automated death at an insane rate; their extended battle having thoroughly trashed nigh all available cover across the flight deck and leaving the pair constantly on the run.

But that didn't mean Crudelis had everything her way, for the Landstalker could still only effectively target one of the commandos at a time given how far they were spread out, while its damaged leg hampered every movement and threw off her aim. To make matters worse, the cumulative EMP effect from Ratchet's continually spammed Mini-Nukes had finally taken its toll on the Landstalker's shield generator, and with a final fizzling surge of electricity helped along by a constant rain of high explosive ordinance, the projected barrier shattered entirely. Something that the human and lombax were quick to capitalise upon with everything they had left.

Armour plating scorched and buckled under repeated weapons fire; the Landstalker's body thrashing around like a dying animal as its crew frantically tried to saturate the deck with scorching plasma and tracer bullets in an attempt to stave off inevitable. Something that appeared to be working too, given that the commandos had already expended a vast majority of their heavier munitions and were focusing more upon simply staying alive rather than shooting back. Which in turn allowed Crudelis some breathing room in which she could regain the initiative and close in for the kill; the mortar strikes gradually zeroing in with increasing accuracy until the inevitable finally happened.

It was but an errant slip and moment's stumble over a piece of debris as she crossed paths with her partner, but the few seconds lost in Ellen's fatigued state quite probably saved her life when a plasma mortar slammed down directly in their predicted path. An overwhelming burst of extreme heat and accompanying shockwave blossomed forth from the point of impact, sending her head over heels across the deck like a rag doll and leaving the groaning redhead in a heap with ringing ears a good dozen or so yards away. Ratchet not looking much better as she raised a groggy head towards him and tried to force herself back to unsteady feet, only to freeze as one of the Landstalker's armoured legs slammed down between them.

"You know, it's almost a pity really," Warden Crudelis cooed down from above with malicious glee and what Ellen could only assume was a particularly wide grin; given that the woman was currently hidden behind tinted glass and safely sealed within the machine's armoured bathtub of a cockpit. "Seeing how much you've suffered to get this far, only to fall at the very last hurdle."

Flipping herself over on to her back so that she could see the machine looming over her, Ellen's eyes briefly locked with those of her lombax counterpart as he did the same; getting a slight nod in return as a gloved hand discretely snaked down towards his Quick Select in a mirror of her own actions. The message was clear; they would fight to the last if need be, and with everything they had. All they needed was an opportunity, and with Crudelis wrapping up her little villain speech, that time was fast approaching.

"But as entertaining as this little game has proven to be, I believe it's about time to finish it for good. So then..." The Landstalker's entire remaining weapon systems hummed with power; trained unwaveringly on the pair and unable to miss at such close quarters as reptilian fingers stroked across the respective triggers. "Any last words?"

"Only three," Clank's voice echoed forth from dozens of external speakers over the flight deck's tannoy system.

The bubble shield surrounding their stolen Star Explorers fizzled out just as suddenly a heartbeat later, coinciding with the fighters powering up remotely and bringing their respective weapons to bear on the Landstalker's all too exposed flank. Crudelis realising all too late that in her fixation upon the two commandos, she had failed to account for the immediate lack of their little robot friend; yanking the controls to one side in a last ditch effort to evade what was coming.

"Initiating alpha strike."

A volley of fusion laser fire accompanied by a quartet of fighter grade missiles screamed across the short distance with all the subtlety and power of a sledgehammer cracking a nut. Weapons designed to counter spacefaring vessels and their shields cutting through the spider tank's already damaged hull like a hot knife through butter; boiling away layers of armour plating and leaving damn little left bar a mangled mass of twisted, burning metal plus a few more recognisable chunks spread out across the deck.

Of the warden herself there was no obvious sign from what Ratchet could tell, nor any form of movement visible from what was left of the utterly decimated cockpit. But as he staggered to his feet and extended an arm to helped pull Ellen back upright, he couldn't help but let a relieved sigh escape his lips along with perhaps the most obvious question. "Great timing, pal. But what the heck took you so long?"

"My apologies to you both for not acting sooner," Clank called from halfway across the flight deck, much to their surprise. Rapidly approaching in his typically lopping gait with a wide-eyed and awestruck-looking Samus floating along close behind as they slowed to a halt a few yards in front of the two commandos "There were quite a few unforeseen complications, and were it not for Samus assisting me so capably, I fear we may have been too late."

The converted infobot bashfully looked away at the sudden attention on her, and Ellen was sure she would be blushing up a storm right now if it weren't for the lack of a robot equivalent as she timidly added her own opinion. It-it was n-nothing, really. Just some database compiling stuff - B-but anybody could do that..._

She squeaked a little in surprise as Ellen gently placed a gloved hand on her tiny shoulder, having crouched down to Samus' level with a warm smile upon her lips. "Hey, don't sell yourself short. None of this would have even been possible if I hadn't met you back on that transport ship, and without your help in getting them out, the boys might still be stuck in their cells with that bitch of a warden doing who knows what. Now come on, what do you say we get the hell off this damn ship for good?

Samus jolted with a started at her words, optics wide and body trembling with a growing sense of anticipation as she blurted out her answer. W-wait! Y-you... want me to come with you?_

"Well you didn't think we were just going to leave you here after all that, did you?" the redhead replied with a grin before extending an open palm towards her. "We make a damn good team, and while we haven't known each other all that long, I consider you to be a good friend too." She chuckled aloud. "Plus, it'd be nice to have another girl to talk to as well. So again, what do you-umph!"

YES! YES! YES! THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!_

Ratchet couldn't help but snigger as Ellen was knocked flat on her ass by a flying pink blur; one that was currently glomping the human's chest armour with her little servos stretched as wide as they could and babbling non-stop all the while. A glimpse to his side showed Clank looking equal parts amused and bemused at the scene unfolding before them, and with a subtle nudge to gain his attention, the lombax gestured with a thumb over his shoulder towards their ships. "Come on, pal. Let's give 'em some space and get ready to leave. I dunno about you, but I've had enough of this ship to last a lifetime."

Clank couldn't agree more, following the lombax over to his Star Explorer and helping to run through an abbreviated flight check list while waiting for the girls to catch up. Something that only took a few more minutes once Ellen came jogging up to meet them with a now thoroughly embarrassed-looking Samus nestled safely in the crook of her arm, before opening the canopy of her own ship remotely via Wrist Com and using her Jump Pack to boost up into the cockpit.

With both vessels having sufficiently spooled up and Samus safely secured in her own seat, the two Star Explorers soon lifted off towards the heavens with engines roaring on full power. Rapidly leaving the prison ship and Aranos itself behind once more as they punched through the atmosphere and into the inky blackness of space beyond, where any conversation as to their next destination was suddenly interrupted by an incoming call.

Sharing the link with Ellen so that they could both listen in at the same time, Ratchet punched the answer button on the Ship's central console and was immediately greeted with the familiar yet haggard image of Cash Harding staring at the camera with a slight scowl. "About time you picked up! Where the bloody hell have you lot been? I've been trying to get hold of you for days!"

The snarky reply died on Ratchet's lips as he took in the normally laid back mercenary's dishevelled appearance and undercurrent of worry lacing his tone; Ellen seeming to have picked it up as well judging by the shrunken portrait displaying her face in the screen's top right corner. "Whoa, slow down Cash. What happened, and where's Angela? Why isn't she in on this call?"

"Because that bastard Logan's gotten hold of her, and I've been hunting them both ever since," he replied grimly; drawing gasps and bitten off curses from his audience. "The only clue I've got as to where they might've taken her is the Doc's last transmission, and you lot are the only ones I trust to help track her down. Here, take a look."

---

Our heroes just can't catch a break, can they?

Next stop Gorn, and what promises to be the greatest furball yet as they race to intercept the Thugs-4-Less fleet and save Angela. Here's hoping I have an easier time writing the damn thing, and preferably in a single chapter as opposed to escalating into something the length of some short stories. See you there!

Review replies:

starrat - Thank you! Hope you like this one too.

bajy - Glad you liked it, and yeah, Warden Crudelis is not exactly best pleased right now… Also, ewe better believe I got that pun; can't pull the wool over these eyes, after all. (Smirks). All jokes aside though, I do love the Sheepinator, and may well have to come up with an omake about it sooner than not. As to what'll happen next, you'll just have to read on and find out. Hope the wait was worth it!

Firestar5277 - Thanks, and I'm glad you agree. The Aranos prison arc has grown out of all proportion, and it's just been such a struggle to make it work the way I want or finish it on time. Still, at least it's over now, and I can hopefully get caught back up to my regular writing schedule sooner than not. The Plumber certainly has his work cut out for him, but he is the universe's foremost handyman and plumber; fixing everything from blocked drains to planetary defence systems. Is there nothing he can't do? As to whether his fourth wall breaking knowledge extends to this story… Well, I think his parting line might answer that question.

It really is a shame the movie was so rushed from a narrative perspective, and that the tie-in game didn't really delve into Ratchet and Clank's early relationship. It had a very promising start, but never really went anywhere and just felt a little hollow to me. Still, here's hoping Insomniac return to form with a worthy sequel to the reboot, or perhaps something else entirely. Thanks again for reviewing, and hope you enjoy the new chapter.

Guest - In a word: yes. It's something that will be more prevalent in the sequel with what I've got planned out thus far. But without wanting to spoil anything for this story, I may well be briefly splitting the party, and a lot sooner than not…

DarkEnigma95 - Well I do aim to please! As you guessed and no doubt have already read, Clank and Samus are back as of this chapter and ready to finally get off the prison ship with Ratchet and Ellen in tow. As for the ridiculously effective laxative supply, Ellen 'borrowed' it from the medical bay back in chapter 31 before using it to lace what she could in the mess hall; after which things quickly escalated from there. Here's hoping a Going Commando reboot really is in the works, or at least a continuation of the original universe at any rate. Preferably without having to worry about movie licensing, and thus allowing Insomniac free reign to make something truly epic in both scope and story. Thanks again, and hope you enjoy the revamped chapter that should have been.

shadow-dog - Aw, thanks! It's always nice to hear from someone new and a potentially different perspective on things. To be honest, I don't think Ellen really cares what the warden thinks of her and would pretty much take it in stride; especially since the attitude of most Thugs-4-Less employees range from 'angry' to 'utterly murderous' when dealing with Ratchet and herself. Although given his sensitive nose, he might well regret finding out just what exactly that strange smelling gas really was…

Light Seeker 001 - That's a good question, and I'd say it largely depends on how much Clunk's behaviour follows canon. Personally I see him as being a little more cautious around the heroes and trying not to arouse suspicion, although not above getting his servos dirty should an opportunity arise. Ellen's likely to be suspicious either way, but likely to keep them to her chest until she has proof something is truly amiss.

As for your second point, I doubt Tachyon would know the location of - from his perspective - an isolated backwater world like Earth. Especially since Drek only found it by accident prior to the events of Time Heals All, and as far as anyone else knows, that knowledge died with him. That being said though, finding the one responsible for almost wiping out her other half's entire species would be all the motivation Ellen needs to take him down permanently. Although I doubt Tachyon would feel afraid of Ellen unless separated from his mobile throne, loyal minions, and otherwise completely at her mercy. Loathing yes, but not fear without good reason. He's far too arrogant and self assured for that. Hope that helps.

Sonachugirl - Well someone sounds excited (grins). Glad you liked it overall, and the, uh… mother of all stink bombs, for want of a better term. It's high time our heroes reunited once again, this time as a foursome, and finally end the Aranos prison arc with a bang. Enjoy!

Kairi671 - Hey, long time no see! While it's always nice to get some feedback, I appreciate that real life and its myriad of issues often get in the way at the worst possible of times. So don't worry about not reviewing more often; I honestly don't mind, and am just happy you enjoy the story. To answer your questions in order, there will be a sequel to this story covering the third game, and while a sing/dance off is an interesting idea, it wouldn't work with the tone of story I'm looking for. Perhaps as an omake, however…

Of course! I'm more than happy for you to reference Ellen in one of your works. PM me if you need any of her background details and such, or anything else for that matter, and I'll help the best I can. As for your last question, it is a bit of a spoiler, but yes, Ratchet will get to meet Ellen's parents in a planned side story I'm tentatively calling Earthside. Or at least until I can think of a better title anyway, although work on that won't begin for a long time yet. Hope that helps, and it's good to hear from you again. Take care!

Xcantax - You're welcome. I figured it was better to do that at least rather than just keep people guessing, although with any luck, it won't be necessary again for the story's remainder. I hope.

Until next time, please review and check out my other stories once they're posted and/or updated.

Thanks for reading

- RevenantReaper337