Once again, I got a bit overzealous when it came to revising a bit of my draft, and this is yet another chapter that suddenly manifested out of the ether and became its own thing instead of being the quick transition between plot points like it was supposed to be.

This should have come out a little quicker, but I got sidetracked after getting sick (don't worry, not with COVID, just a cold). Anyways, I promise the next one is the Council meeting like I've foreshadowed for the last few chapters now.

"And that's how he escaped Tachyon." Ratchet says as he finishes the story of his father's survival. "And ever since then, he's been arguing with this Council here the entire time so he could come back for me. But, I mean, to think that he's been alive this entire time! It's just… crazy!"

"Indeed, it is." Clank says, still resting on top of the table across from Ratchet, who preferred to stand after being stuck in a chair for the last hour. "Is your mother alive, too, then?"

Ratchet sighs and shakes his head. "No. He said Tachyon killed her."

"Oh. I'm… sorry to hear that." Clank apologizes, feeling a little insensitive for asking.

Ratchet gives him a small smile. "It's alright, it's not like I really knew her, anyways. And, yeah, while it does suck that I never got to meet her, it doesn't change the fact that I actually got a chance to meet my dad instead. I mean, I thought he was dead this entire time! And to see him walk into that room, living and breathing, and feeling him hug me and hearing him talk to me is just… just…"

He holds his hands up, trying to find a way to put his indescribable joy into words. But in his search, he glances over to Clank, and sees him looking back at him with a warm smile, making him realize that Clank perfectly understood how he felt. Ratchet lowers his hands and opts to just return the smile as well.

"You get what I mean." Ratchet says contentedly. "And… thanks, Clank. You were right."

Clank tilts his head a little. "Right about what?"

"About fixing the Dimensionator. If you didn't ignore me about not coming here to find the Lombaxes, I'd just be sitting around in front of the HV back at home, fixing ships, or just doing whatever to waste time. But instead, you worked your ass off repairing that thing in secret so you could give me the opportunity to meet my dad. And I couldn't be gladder that you refused to listen to me."

Ratchet then walks up to the table and leans down to take Clank into a hug, which Clank returns gladly. "And you were also right about how it feels to find your family. It does feel great." Ratchet adds from Clank's shoulder. "I'm jealous that this is how you've felt ever since we found out about Orvus."

"And I'm happy you got to experience it as well, Ratchet." Clank says. "Even though neither of us could have possibly anticipated this scenario, I couldn't be happier for you."

"Thanks, pal."

But as they sit there, hugging each other, they hear the door suddenly open, and Kaden walks in before stopping for a moment as he sees them in their embrace.

"Oh, I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" Kaden asks.

"No, you're fine." Ratchet reassures him as he lets go of Clank. "I was just thanking Clank here for repairing the Dimensionator."

"So, you were the one who was responsible for that?" Kaden asks Clank.

He nods. "Indeed I am."

"Well, in that case, I have to thank you, too." Kaden walks up to Clank and takes him into a hug as well, with Clank noting that his grip was much tighter than Ratchet's a moment ago. "If it wasn't for you, I probably wouldn't have ever had the chance to see my son again. I don't know how I can ever repay you."

"Oh, erm, there's no need for that." Clank reassures him, finding the hug unexpected, but not unwelcome. "I simply did it so I could make my friend happy. I ask nothing in return, sir."

Kaden chuckles as he releases Clank from his grip that would've ordinarily smothered Ratchet. "Please, you don't have to be so formal with me. Just call me Kaden."

Clank nods. "If you say so. It is a pleasure to meet you, Kaden."

"Likewise. It seems that you and Kieran—er, Ratchet, are close friends." He says, making sure to correct himself.

"Yep. He's never once left my side ever since I met him." Ratchet says as he leans onto Clank, propping his elbow up onto his head. "Well, except for the time he was kidnapped, but that's definitely a story for another day. And honestly, not having him around proved that I'm kind of helpless without him."

Clank chuckles. "Indeed. To think that you were living off an exclusive diet of nutrient bars and prepackaged meals before I started to cook for you makes it a wonder how you managed to survive for so long."

"Hey, it wasn't just nutrient bars and Megacorp Megameals, for your information." Ratchet corrects him.

"The various diners of the Kyzil Plateau along with Ms. Perigee's cookies are hardly any better, Ratchet." Clank adds to his chagrin. "I'm not sure you've ever eaten a vegetable before I introduced them into your diet."

Kaden gives a small laugh. "So, I guess I can thank you for my son's survival, as well?"

"There have been more than a few occasions where that was the case, yes." Clank affirms. "Even though he may be very stubborn sometimes, I always at least try and make him see reason."

"If he was anything like me back in my own teenage days, then you sure as hell got your work cut out for you."

Clank chuckles. "That I do."

Ratchet rolls his eyes at their conversation before taking his elbow off Clank's head. "So, are we heading to the Center, or what?" He pipes up, wanting to change the topic.

"Yes, in a little bit." Kaden answers. "I have some friends coming to pick us up soon, so we're going to have to wait a little while, still."

Clank tilts his head. "What 'Center'? And why must we go to it?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm going to prison unless we get a pardon from the Council there, because of the whole getting arrested thing." Ratchet explains casually. But before Clank opens his mouth, Ratchet points to him. "And no, I still don't regret running away, Clank. It was totally worth it."

Clank opens his mouth while raising a finger, but after a moment, he simply sighs while lowering it back down.

"So, how long are we supposed to wait, then?" Ratchet asks, returning his attention to his father.

"Probably five minutes or so." Kaden says while taking a seat in one of the chairs at the table. "Depends on how bad traffic is today, and if they stop arguing who's going to fly."

"Five minutes? If the Center's that close, why not just walk there?" Ratchet asks.

"Because as a condition of releasing you, Chief Wells made me promise to transport you there discreetly. Everyone out on the sidewalk still thinks you're a criminal, Ratchet, and it wouldn't look good on the City Guard to have you out and about before your pardon." Kaden explains. "I'm sure you can't wait to get out of here, but you'll have to wait a little longer—"

Kaden is cut off as he feels his communicator vibrate in his pocket. He takes it out and sees with a confused expression that it's Julie again.

"Huh? Did they get lost or something?" Kaden mutters as he answers the call, Ratchet and Clank looking at him curiously.

"Julie? Why are you calling me back so soon?"

"We're here, Kaden!" She replies excitedly, while Mags can be heard in the background loudly chastising her.

"What the—It's only been a few minutes since I called!" Kaden says in surprise. "I thought Mags was flying!"

"Well, we were going to take Centauri, but I thought if Mister You're-Not-Flying-My-Precious-Baby over here was so adamant about it, it'd only be fair to take my ship instead." She explains.

"Dammit Julie, if I'd known you were going to fly like that, then I wouldn't have agreed to this!" Kaden hears Mags argue. "I mean, you nearly crashed into that sign going twice the speed written on it! This is exactly why I ban you from touching Centauri!"

Kaden facepalms. "Julie, I told you to not break speeding regulations to get here."

"Pssh, regulations, schmegulations." Julie dismisses him, Kaden clearly imagining her carelessly waving her hand around. "This is your son, Kaden! No rules are going to stop me!"

"I've gotta say, hearing you say that and knowing you're the head of weapons development doesn't exactly reassure me about your work practices." Kaden replies.

"You know as well as I do that's exactly why I have my own personal QA team to deal with that stuff for me." Julie retorts. "But enough about that, come down here so we can finally see Kieran!"

"I…" Kaden sighs. "Yeah, we'll be down in a minute here. Just… try not to get into any more trouble in the meantime, alright?"

"Sure thing! See you soon!" Julie says before she hangs up.

"So… I'm guessing we don't have to wait any longer?" Ratchet asks.

"Apparently not." Kaden says as he stands up. "Come on, let's get you out of here."

Ratchet smiles and gives him a nod before taking Clank and placing him in his usual position on his back. As he locks into place, Ratchet then follows Kaden out of the door and through the halls of the City Guard headquarters, noting the strange glances that were shot his way from the passing officers, but he just gave them a smile and a nod.

But as they're walking, Ratchet realizes something as his hand brushes against his side, noting a distinct lack of a certain device on his belt.

"Oh, wait, before we go, I need to grab something." Ratchet says to Kaden.

He gives Ratchet a confused look. "What is it?"

"My Arsenal Retrieval Tool." Ratchet responds. "They confiscated it from me after I was arrested."

"Oh, well, in that case, let's—" Kaden stops as he realizes what he's asking. "Wait, you're talking about all your weapons, aren't you?" He asks with a certain unease in his tone.

"What else would I be talking about?" Ratchet asks. "So, who do we have to see in order to get it back?"

"No. We're going to the Center first." Kaden says firmly.

"What? Why?" Ratchet asks with a palpable disappointment in his voice.

"Ratchet, Chief Wells hates the idea that I'm letting you go, even knowing you're my son. Asking for your weapons back will do nothing but piss her off even more, and neither of us want that. Especially you." Kaden explains pointedly. "I think it's best that we wait until you're no longer considered a criminal before we come back for them."

"But—"

"You should listen to your father, Ratchet." Clank speaks from his back. "Besides, I find it unlikely that we will have to require the need of a weapon while we're here."

Ratchet glances to him over his shoulder, then back up to Kaden, and after sensing resistance from either side, he groans. "Fine. But we are coming back for it." He points to him. "Those are my prized possessions."

"Don't worry, we will." Kaden reassures him. "But let's just worry about your pardon first."

After a few minutes of navigating through the halls, walking down stairs, and going through the lobby, they eventually step outside of the headquarters, and into the city once more.

And as they walk out, Ratchet takes the time to marvel at the architecture and Lombaxes walking around, going about their day-to-day lives now that he isn't in the middle of a high-energy chase.

Sure, he's seen plenty of Lombax guards already during the process of his arrest, but just seeing normal, everyday civilians out of uniform and not carrying guns and wrenches really cemented the fact that yes, this was the Lombax dimension. This was his people's home, where any Lombax can live a normal life without needing to be a hero in some way or another, unlike every other Lombax he's met, including himself.

And these Lombaxes probably don't think of themselves as that, either: Lombaxes. Because why would that be significant here? To them, they were probably just people. Normal, unremarkable people. And Ratchet realized that here, he was just a person like them. Not a Lombax, not the last of his kind, not a space rat, not a fuzzball, certainly not a kitty-cat, but just… a person.

And that was a strange new idea to him. But it was the kind of strange that he could get used to.

He suddenly feels a nudge and snaps out of his thoughts as he looks back to Kaden, who's giving him a small smile.

"Come on. They should be parked over here." Kaden says as he thumbs over to a large parking area on the side of the building, where there are over a dozen ships parked, most of which are embellished with the words 'City Guard'.

"Erm, right, lead the way." Ratchet says as he resumes following Kaden.

They walk through the parking area on the designated pathways between the ships and empty spaces, Ratchet gawking at all the cruisers they're walking past in the meantime, just imagining what it'd be like to fly these. Sure, he had Aphelion, and she was very advanced for a ship compared to everything else in Ratchet's dimension, but even then, he had to remember she was over two decades old. Lombax tech could only have gotten better in the meantime.

But before he can drool over what must lie in their engine compartments, he starts to hear a familiar voice speaking ahead. Very loudly.

"Just what is wrong with you?!" A certain brown-furred Lombax yells at a somewhat scratched ship. "If anyone would have respect for the law, I'd think it'd be someone that's on the goddamn Council!" Chief Wells fumes.

"So much for her not getting in trouble." Kaden mutters as they walk closer.

"Hey, it's a Council emergency!" They hear Julie argue back from the cockpit.

"Bullshit it is!" Chief Wells fires back. "I know this is about that one kid, but that isn't an excuse for your reckless flying! I mean, have you ever flown before?!"

"Okay, I'm sorry, alright? Just go ahead and give me the fine or whatever. It won't happen next time, officer." Julie replies tiredly.

"That's Chief to you, actually." Wells grumbles as she whips out a small notepad and angrily scribbles a ticket before ripping it out and snapping it over to the cockpit. "1000 bolts." She says coldly.

Julie groans, but Kaden could see her reach out and take it anyways.

Wells gives a curt nod. "Next time, it'll be 2000 for a repeat offense. Learn to fly." She finishes before she turns and walks off, groaning as she rubs her eyes. "Just what is wrong with Councilmembers?" She mutters.

"Erm, hello, Chief Wells." Kaden greets as Wells inadvertently walks in their direction.

She snaps her head up from her hand with surprise and gives him a frown. "Kaden." She greets with little warmth. "Are you aware your escort—"

"Broke speeding regulations to get here? Unfortunately." Kaden says sourly. "Even though I explicitly told her not to, she went directly against my word. I apologize, Chief Wells, and I assure you, she will not be flying the way back."

"She'd better not. She damn near killed Pyle trying to land that thing, and I'd be very unhappy if him getting fired got knocked down to the second worst thing that's happened to him today." She says bitterly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I earned a break." She says as she starts walking past them.

"Oh, before you go," Ratchet speaks up, causing her to stop and turn to look at him, "Is there any chance you could give me back my—ouch!"

He is cut off as Kaden elbows him, prompting Wells to raise her eyebrow.

"Nothing. He said nothing." Kaden assures her. "Go and enjoy your break, Chief Wells."

"I'll try." She says with a sigh as she resumes walking off while Ratchet rubs his now-sore side.

"Hey, what was that for?" He questions Kaden.

"You seriously saw her in that state and didn't think it a stupid idea to ask for your weapons?" Kaden scolds him.

"No, because by the looks of it, she's always in that state." Ratchet answers. "And I didn't think it'd hurt to ask."

Kaden sighs. "Well, now you know it does." He says as he gestures to Ratchet's hand, still rubbing his side. "Now come on, I have some friends I want you to meet."

They resume walking back over to the ship, which now that Wells mentioned it, they noticed was parked at a noticeably skewed angle, with the edges of the wings sticking out onto the pathways. And as they get closer, they could hear the passengers inside talking.

"What do you mean you won't split it?" Julie asks.

"Because why would I?" Mags retorts. "You were the one flying!"

"Well, you were the one who was giving me directions, and navigating is like, half the work of flying."

"Julie, when I say 'take a left', I mean 'take a left', not 'take a right, realize your mistake, turn around in the middle of traffic, and floor the accelerator to 'make up for the lost time!''"

She groans. "Fine, I'll pay it myself, then. Thought I could count on a friend to help me out, but no, I guess he doesn't care about me enough."

"If you're trying to guilt me, it won't work. I'm happy just sitting here and watching you lie in that 1000 bolt bed you made for yourself."

"Same here." Kaden agrees as he walks up to the cockpit, seeing Julie crossing her arms while scowling at Mags.

She suddenly whips her head around to face Kaden, and her scowl is instantly replaced with a grin. "Kaden, you're here, finally!" She exclaims. "Where is he? Where's Kieran?!" She asks excitedly.

"Oh, he's right over—"

Before he finishes his sentence, Julie leaps out of the cockpit and lands next to Kaden before looking over to where he pointed, seeing Ratchet standing there with a surprised look on his face.

"Holy shit…" She mutters while staring at him. As she does, Mags also exits the cockpit, albeit normally, and walks up next to Julie, also wearing a shocked expression as he looks between him and Kaden.

"Wow, that is definitely your son, Kaden." He remarks. "That's just… wow!"

Kaden beams. "I know, right?"

"Uh… hey." Ratchet greets awkwardly with a small wave, a little uneased from the probing attention of the two Lombaxes. "I'm Ratchet. And this is Clank." He says, allowing him to hop off of his back and walk next to him, also giving a small wave.

"Greetings, it is a pleasure to meet more of your species." Clank greets much less awkwardly.

"Wait, your name's Ratchet? Not Kieran?" Mags asks.

Ratchet shakes his head. "I was raised in a different dimension, after all."

"Oh, right." Mags mutters. "Well, it's great to meet you regardless, Ratchet. I'm Mags, and this is Julie, we're longtime friends and coworkers of your father's."

"Wait… so you're the ones who saved my dad from Tachyon?" Ratchet asks, recognizing the names from his father's story.

He nods. "Indeed we are."

"I… thanks!" Ratchet says earnestly. "If it wasn't for you two, I never would've had the chance to meet him!"

Mags gives a warm smile. "You don't need to thank us. We couldn't just sit by and let him die, even if the Council told us to."

"Erm… is she alright?" Clank pipes up, pointing to Julie, who has been stuck frozen the entire time.

Kaden and Mags look over, and both give her a concerned look. Kaden shakes her shoulder a little bit. "Julie? You good?"

She suddenly shakes her head, snapping out of whatever daze she was in, and starts to grin as she suddenly rushes up to Ratchet and takes him into an unexpected hug.

"Oh man, it is so great to finally meet you!" She nearly squeals with delight.

"Uh… you too, I guess?" Ratchet returns as he looks back to Mags and Kaden, who look equally surprised as him. "What's with the hug? Are you supposed to be like, my aunt or something?" He asks her.

Julie gasps and lets go of Ratchet as she snaps back around to look at Kaden with what could only be described as childlike wonder. "Can I?" She asks eagerly.

"I mean… it's not like I can stop you even if I wanted to." Kaden replies.

"Yes!" Julie says in triumph as she pumps her fist. "I am going to be the best, most fun aunt you've ever had!" She tells Ratchet excitedly.

"Well, you kinda win by default since I've never had an aunt before." Ratchet replies.

"But now you do! And this is going to be awesome!" She replies excitedly.

Ratchet gives Kaden a questioning look. "Should I be worried about this?"

Kaden shakes his head. "Honestly, you two seem like a perfect fit for each other." He then turns to Mags standing next to him. "How long until my meeting with the Council today?"

"Oh, erm… about a half-hour." Mags replies, glancing at the clock on his communicator. "Why?"

"Oh, seems like we had a little less time than I thought." Kaden mutters. "Alright, come on, Julie, you can harass Ratchet on the way back to the Center. We've gotta go."

"Sure thing, Kaden!" She replies before turning back to Ratchet. "Wanna see a cool trick I learned while flying over here?"

"You are not flying, Julie." Kaden states. "I am."

"Oh, thank the Zoni." Mags breathes with profound relief.

"What? But it's my ship!" She complains.

Kaden rolls his eyes and leans into the cockpit to grab the piece of paper sitting on the dashboard before holding it up. "And isn't this your ticket for your flying?"

Mags snickers as Julie pouts while crossing her arms. "Fine. But I get to sit next to Ratchet here." She replies, taking Ratchet into another unexpected side-hug, prompting him to look at Clank, who only shrugs with an amused look.

"I don't care as long as you don't touch the flight controls. Let's get going."

They all then pile into the ship, Kaden manning the pilot seat with Mags riding shotgun, and Julie and Ratchet taking the backseat. Ratchet notes that this ship seems a little roomier than Aphelion, but not enough to not have Clank sitting on his lap. He was thankful he was able to fold up in a smaller form to make it more bearable at least.

Kaden then takes off with the ship, and Ratchet watches out of the window and begins to see the rest of the city come into view as they rise above the nearby buildings. It reminds him much of Metropolis, being an urban sprawl, with bustling city traffic soaring through the sky, of which Kaden promptly enters as they begin their transit across the city.

"So, how'd you get a name like Ratchet, then?" Julie asks from beside him.

"Oh, uh, nothing exciting, if that's what you're wondering." Ratchet responds as he takes his attention away from the window. "I just really liked playing with one as a baby, and my caregiver decided to name me after it."

Julie chuckles. "By that logic, nearly half of all Lombaxes would be named after tools, then. Hell, I'd probably be named 'Hammer' if that were the case."

"Why doesn't it surprise me your favorite tool as a baby was a hammer?" Mags comments from up front.

"Probably because it shouldn't. You know me well enough, Mags. And I'd say I know you enough to know that your favorite tool was probably… a screwdriver!"

"Nope, a wrench." He replies smugly.

"Ugh, of course it's something boring like that." She says while rolling her eyes. "Unoriginal, too."

"Hey, you can't beat the classic."

"So… what exactly do you guys do?" Ratchet asks.

"Oh, I'm the head of the Center's weapons development division!" Julie answers enthusiastically.

"And I'm a co-head of the interdimensional research division with Kaden here." Mags answers, thumbing over to him. "Well, before the Council decided to basically render it obsolete after the Dimensionator ban, that is. Now, I just help wherever I'm needed with these two, but I also research the odd anomaly or theory that pops up every once in a while. But how about you? What have you been doing by yourself back in the old dimension?"

"About that," Kaden speaks up, cutting Ratchet off before he could even open his mouth. "It's why we're heading to the Center right now. We're getting him a pardon for getting arrested this morning."

"Uh, alright?" Mags replies.

"What's that got to do with what Ratchet's been up to for all this time, though?" Julie asks, bringing her arm around Ratchet, who begins to wonder if Lombaxes were just a touchy-feely kind of people with all the hugs he's gotten today.

"Because…" He sighs. "Both of you know that he's also arrested for having a Dimensionator, and you also know that the Council isn't going to forgive him for that unless he has a good reason. And… well… he does." He finishes uneasily.

"What reason is that?" Mags asks.

"I killed Tachyon." Ratchet says proudly.

"You what?!" Both Mags and Julie exclaim in shock, the latter of which removing her arm as she gawks at him along with Mags.

"Couldn't you have said that a little more delicately, Ratchet?" Clank asks from his lap.

"What? It's basically how I told my dad."

"And you damn near gave me a heart attack." He comments.

"You killed Tachyon? Yourself?" Julie exclaims. "What the hell, I'm supposed to be the dangerous one in this aunt/nephew relationship! Now you just threw off our whole dynamic!"

"That's your concern, Julie? And not the fact that he's just a kid?" Mags asks her. "I mean, just how were you able to do that?!" He asks Ratchet.

"Because it's what I do." Ratchet states plainly. "I'm an intergalactic hero, and he was just another bad guy I had to take care of. The fifth one, actually."

Mags looks over to Kaden. "He's lying, right?"

Kaden shakes his head as he produces a holotape from his pocket. "He's not. We used a MemoReader, and it's what we're going to use to convince the Council. And I may not have seen his memories for myself yet, just believe me, with the things he said…" He sighs as he places it back into his pocket. "It's true. My son killed Tachyon himself."

A tense silence falls as Julie and Mags start to stare at Ratchet in disbelief, who begins to shift uncomfortably in his seat. The only sounds filling the quiet is the gentle hum of the thrusters and passing ships as they fly to the Center as they process the information. Ratchet looks down at Clank in his lap for an answer for what to do in this situation, but is only greeted with a shrug.

"Well… at least you have one hell of a story to tell at parties." Julie finally speaks, breaking the silence.

Mags groans. "Seriously, Julie?"

"What? It's not like there's anything we can do to change it!" She defends herself. "At least it explains how he was so good at running away from the City Guard, and why he had that Arsenal Retrieval Tool on him. Which, by the way, looked nice." She says to Ratchet, who is thankful that someone isn't completely appalled by his career. "Do you have it on you? I really want to look at it."

"Oh, uh, no." Ratchet says with some disappointment. "My dad won't let me get it back until I get that pardon."

"Wow, Kaden, you meet your son after twenty years and one of the first things you do is ground him?" She says with a mockingly chiding tone.

"He's not grounded, Julie." Kaden replies. "I just didn't want to piss off Chief Wells any more than I needed to."

"Wait, wasn't she the one who gave me that ticket?"

"Yes. And believe me, you got off easy."

"Well, I would have gotten that Arsenal back regardless." Julie remarks. "You can't just separate someone from their hard-earned weapons like that! And I got a feeling that Wells lady is always angry, so it's not like making her angrier would be a big deal anyways."

"Hey, she gets it!" Ratchet says. "It wasn't easy getting those RYNOs, after all!"

"Wait, you have a RYNO?" Julie asks in awe.

"Yep, series I through VII!" Ratchet says proudly.

Julie gawks at him for a moment before throwing her hands over to him while looking over to Kaden indignantly. "What the hell, Kaden?! You seriously didn't let him bring it so I could see one for myself?!" She exclaims. "Are they seriously as powerful as people say?" She asks Ratchet.

He shakes his head. "Nope, they're even better. I was able to wipe out a whole squad of Drophyds in seconds with the RYNO IV. They're illegal for a reason!"

Julie and Ratchet then engage in an engaging conversation about the RYNO's specs, both of them gushing over the components used, all the while Kaden flies up front, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in his gut about hearing how his son seems so excited about using weapons of mass destruction.

"Seems you were right about them being perfect for each other." Mags remarks to Kaden, Ratchet and Julie oblivious to them. "I can't believe there's someone who can keep up with her when she starts rambling about guns like this."

Kaden sighs. "Yep."

Mags raises an eyebrow. "You don't seem thrilled by that."

"Mags, are you listening to what they're saying?" He asks, thumbing back to them, now having transitioned from RYNOs to talking about Mr. Zurkon weapons. "Julie's interested because she builds guns for a living. Ratchet's interested because he uses them for a living. Against Tachyon, no less. It's just… I can't help but be uneased by it."

Mags reaches over and places his hand on Kaden's shoulder, prompting him to look over for a moment. "Look, I can't deny that the fact Ratchet here stood toe-to-toe with a monster like Tachyon makes me uncomfortable too, but Julie's right." He says softly. "There's nothing we can do to change that. The important thing is that he's here at all, and he could have done worse things with his life. I mean, by the sound of it, he's saved a lot of people being a hero, right?"

Kaden tilts his head. "I guess you're right, but… I just wish he did something a little safer, not risking his life all the time."

Mags snickers a little, making Kaden look at him with mild confusion. "What's so funny about that?"

"Kaden, you were a General of the Praetorian Guard when you were a little past Ratchet's age now. You risked your life nearly every day, even while you had a pregnant wife at home! You fought Tachyon yourself so you could protect the rest of the Lombaxes, and that's not to mention you managed to win first place in the Agorians' blood sport when you were only 16."

Kaden frowns a little. "So?"

"So, what I'm saying is that you're a pot calling the kettle black." Mags states with a small smile. "He grew up to be as reckless and selfless as you, and I doubt having you raise him would have changed that. In fact, I honestly think you'd encourage it."

Kaden raises an eyebrow at him. "And what makes you say that?"

"I remember when he was born, you were asking me if five years old is too young to learn how to fly with hoverboots, even though most people wouldn't even think about teaching their kids that until they're at least twelve." He says with a smirk.

"Okay, that was because—"

"And there was the time you argued with Alister about who'd be better at teaching him how to fight with an OmniWrench, even though you only have to learn that if you're planning on going into the Guard."

"We were—"

"And there was the time you told me Marie yelled at you for going on a high-speed joyride with him in his baby seat because he liked it when you did barrel rolls."

"I—"

"And I remember Julie telling me about the time you came to her to ask for recommendations on what an ideal first blaster would be for a kid."

"Alright, I get it, Mags." Kaden says in defeat. "Maybe I wouldn't be the best parent for him to live a quiet and peaceful life. But at the end of the day, that's what I am: his parent. And it's only natural for me to be worried about him, especially when I hear he ran into the person that killed his mother and almost myself."

"I'm not blaming you for that, Kaden." Mags reassures him. "I'm just telling you that you should be proud of him, and don't worry about what could or couldn't have been. He's here now, safe and alive, and you should just focus on spending time with him. Because it doesn't matter if he's an intergalactic hero that killed Tachyon, he's still your son, and I can tell he missed you. The last thing he needs is you scolding him or thinking you're disappointed in him."

Kaden doesn't speak for a moment as he mulls over Mags' words, Ratchet and Julie still having a lively conversation about their favorite weapons, meanwhile, still completely unaware of their conversation.

He sighs. "You're right. I… I guess I should be thankful that Tachyon's gone, anyway."

Mags gives a smile and a nod. "Exactly."

"But… it's going to take some getting used to, though."

"I didn't say it'd be easy to digest, Kaden. This is a lot for all of us, so all we can to do is just take it one step at a time. And don't worry, because if me and Julie have stuck with you for this long, then we sure as hell aren't going to leave you now. We'll do this together, I promise."

Kaden looks over to him and gives him a smile. "Thanks, Mags. I'm glad I have you guys."

"And we're glad we have you." He returns warmly. He looks back to the front of them, and he drops his smile. "Woah, Kaden, look out!"

"Huh?" Kaden looks ahead and finds they're about to fly into the side of building from being a little distracted by the conversation. Kaden swerves the ship to dodge, throwing everyone else around a little bit before he stabilizes the ship.

"Damn, Kaden, and you say I'm the bad flier?!" Julie says, resituating herself in her seat.

"Sorry, my bad, just got a little distracted is all." He says with a nervous laugh.

"Don't worry, happens to me all the time." Ratchet reassures him.

"And I keep advising you that you need to work on that." Clank scolds him. "There's only so much autopilot can do, Ratchet."

"Yeah, well, you also say I need a pilot's license to fly, and yet, here we are." He returns.

"Remind me to not let you fly while you're here, then." Kaden adds.

"Oh, come on! It's not like I can't fly! I've never crashed before!"

"You have crashed several times before." Clank corrects him.

"Only because I was shot down, alright? And even then, they got lucky! I am great at flying." He finishes as he crosses his arms. "Dogfighting too."

Mags gives Kaden a smirk. "Yep, he's your son, alright."

"That he is." He replies, unable to hide the small smile on his face.

"Just try not to ding up my ship, alright?" Julie tells him.

"I doubt you'd even notice it with how scratched up it already is, Julie." Mags says to her as he motions to the wings outside the window. "I mean, would it kill you to at least paint it a little?"

"Well, sorry that not all of us treats their ship like it's their firstborn child, Mags." Julie replies.

"I'm not asking you to do that, I'm just asking that you give your ship some attention, because it's painful to look at all those marks tarnishing such a beautiful cruiser!"

She scoffs. "It's not that bad, you big baby."

"No, it is." Both Ratchet and Kaden say in unison as they too glance out the window to see the damages for themselves.

Julie crosses her arms in a pout. "Ugh, sorry, then! I just haven't found the time to get it in the shop, alright?"

"Or, you're just a bad flier and know that it's pointless to fix all those scratches since you'll only add more." Kaden replies.

"I'm not a bad flier!"

Kaden wordlessly grabs her ticket from the dashboard and holds it up between him and Mags between two fingers, clearly presenting the '1000 BOLTS' scrawled angrily on it.

"Screw you." She grumbles as she snatches it from his hand, eliciting snickers from him and Mags. "Are we there yet?"

"Yes, actually." He says as he pulls out of the traffic stream and towards a large complex of buildings, dominated by a central tower. He flies over to the tops of one of the buildings right next to the tower, of which Ratchet could see was designated 'COUNCIL PARKING ONLY' by giant letters on top. Kaden deftly positions himself above an empty spot, and gently lowers the ship onto the ground, the hum of the thrusters fading as the ship powers down.

Kaden turns around in his seat and looks back to Ratchet. "So, ready to be a free Lombax again?"

Ratchet gives a smile and a nod. "Let's do this."

I was going to have the Council meeting be in this chapter, but I thought it was getting long enough already.

And part of the reason I got a little carried away was the fact that writing dialogue between these characters is just so damn fun with how they're all smartasses to each other. I can't wait until they start actually doing stuff instead of literally just talking inside a ship.