Author's note:

Hello everyone, and a very happy new year to you all!

Sorry it's taken this long to update, but things have been rather hectic for me the past several weeks in terms of work and my personal life. I'm all up together now though and ready to get this story going again. It's just as well I did have the extra time really seeing as this chapter proved to be a struggle to get right; undergoing four separate rewrites before settling on this version, and even then I'm not sure about the way it's played out. Still, I hope you all enjoy the chapter for what it is, and the beginning of the second act.

Also, the window for OC Thugs-4-Less mini bosses has now closed and I won't be taking any further submissions. Thank you to everyone who contributed, your character ideas will be popping up in future chapters to come with a little creative licensing on my part to help them blend in to the R & C universe. Oh, and before I forget to mention, Time Heals All has now been completely re-edited, checked over, and re-uploaded into its hopefully final form; just in case anyone wants to read it again.

Review replies:

XxWolfman95xX - You mean once the story's over? That would be telling… and also spoil the ending before I've even written it. You'll just have to wait and see, though rest assured there will still be a sequel after this story has concluded, and maybe more.

DarkEnigma95 - Yeah, it worked out just about right really, and before Christmas too. Thanks for the reminders; I've recently been replaying Going Commando to get a feel for the structure of the following levels, and you've managed to summarise nigh all of the major points for Tabora. Ellen may just live long enough to regret her choice of words, and is likely to be even more paranoid thereafter as a result. Thanks again, and hope you enjoy the new chapter.

starrat - Thank you. More romantic moments and fluff are on the way, though probably not until the next chapter at the earliest.

Firestar5277 - Glad you liked it, and my portrayal of Cash. He considers himself to be a professional with standards and will always see a contract through to its conclusion; though I suspect that once it's over he might want more than a few words with his esteemed employer, unless events conspire another way… I am thinking about making either a standalone omake for the Doom Squad or perhaps including it as part of a collection of random snippets based upon this series, not really decided yet and it's likely to be a while off either way.

I have to admit, it would be pretty funny having the Protopet following Ellen around like a big, fluffy murder puppy, ready to maim anything trying to threaten her. Actually, that could be a thing; maybe another omake in the making… Its tentative bond towards Ellen might well be because she's the only one to have shown the Protopet any form of affection, though that could easily change considering how unstably violent the little fluff ball can be. Glad you liked what little in the way of romantic moments there were as well, even if they were exceptionally brief. Here's hoping you like this chapter as well.

Destiny W - Thank you; I can only hope you'll find it worth the wait.

Razor of DOOM - Well at least the wait is over now, and fingers crossed I've done the reveal justice. Also, Ellen is all too well acquainted with Murphy and should really know better by now; something that may well come back to bite her in the ass sooner than not.

Regina DC21 - Hey again, hope you had a good time over the holidays with your family. I can imagine you would have been tired; and at the end of a long journey, there really is no place like home. Glad to hear you like how the chapter played out, and the main character's interactions with each other. The 'dimensions' line was just canon dialogue on the thief's part, but considering where Insomniac went with the Future series it's almost foreshadowing in a way when you think about it.

Ellen should honestly know better by now; Murphy doesn't like her, or anyone she associates with. Period. Also, the inevitable unhappy reunion with Qwark should prove to be very… interesting. Gorda City round two, perhaps? That's one of the problems of working in retail; trying to get time off during what is considered 'peak' times. But on the plus side, at least you did get some time off over Christmas to spend with family. Take care, hope to hear from you again soon.

Tempest Fugit - Finally someone gets the reference! He is in it for the money, so 'cold hard' Cash seemed like an appropriate name for a mercenary. Unfortunately Ellen seems to rank fairly highly on Murphy's shit list, so I suspect that things will continue to blow up in her face and generally go wrong regards of what she says or does; though she doesn't exactly help her case. To be fair, considering they are packing enough firepower to start WW3, I don't think or heroes will be having much trouble if and when they get to Earth. In the unlikely event that they do get into a jam however, I'm sure they would appreciate the backup. Also, that's an… interesting friend there. I'm certain Ratchet, Ellen, and Clank will keep an eye out for him on their continuing adventures, and assist if they are able.

Sonachugirl - (Picks bit of confetti out of hair.) And a very happy new year to you too! Glad you liked the chapter overall, and yeah; the Protopet might be cute and cuddly, but Ellen hasn't seen just how vicious that little fluff ball can be. Something she'll be finding out sooner than not in the chapters to come.

BulletWitch1985 - Hi again, and no worries; I imagine you would have been tired after such a long journey. Hope you enjoyed Christmas with your extended family, and had a great new year. Murphy's law does seem to be rather prevalent in Ellen's life, and she should really know better now than to tempt fate in in her own mind. Glad you liked the chapter and what few moments there were between ratchet and Ellen. Thanks again for reviewing, and hope you enjoy this chapter too.

dragonborn795 - Thank you, hope you like this one too.

Plazmatik - Glad you approve; of both the chapter and Cash's introduction. Spoilers aside, I hope you like this one plays out too.

Light Seeker 001 - Those are some really good points, and I do intend for Ellen to start piecing the puzzle together over time as more and more clues pop up in the forthcoming chapters. Obviously she won't have the whole picture for a while, and there'll be plenty to distract her in the meantime; but she should mostly figure things out long before the final confrontation comes to pass.

The White Guardian - No worries, I'm just happy to hear from you again. Considering how much of a turning point Tabora was in the canon story, I have to agree with you that this chapter will certainly have more than a few surprises, and hopefully the inevitable unveiling of the thief's identity will live up to your expectations. Speaking of surprises, Cash may not be quite what you expect him to be… Take care, and hope you like the way this chapter pans out.

Jadzia Kira Dax - Thank you very much, it's always nice to hear from a new reviewer. I'll do my best to keep the chapters coming to as high a standard as I'm able.

OMNISENSE95 - Yeah, she should have learned by now not to tempt fate. As for the thief's identity, the big reveal is finally here this chapter. Hope you like it.

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.

With the thief having fled and the Protopet safely back in our heroes possession, it should be plain sailing from here on out as they prepare to return the experimental creature to Megacorp. But is everything as it seems? Find out in Chapter 18.

- RevenantReaper337

Disclaimer:

Ratchet & Clank, associated characters, organisations, and intellectual properties belong to Insomniac Games. All other real world organisations and products belong to their respective governments, companies, etc. Original characters, creatures, weapons, etc. belong to me. Cover art belongs to Nekolover3 and is used with her kind permission.

'Thoughts'

Flashbacks

"Speech"

Chapter 18:

Mission Accomplished?

Disused Mining Site, Tabora

Bogon Galaxy

G2.17.082 Galactic calendar

10:07am local time

The mid-morning sun hadn't even reached its zenith, and yet the balmy winds were already stiflingly hot; a faint heat haze coming off the surrounding dunes and causing the parked Star Explorer to sizzle. For the three companions who had spent the last quarter of an hour sheltering under one of the ship's wings it was practically unbearable; the temperature regulating suite in Ratchet and Ellen's commando suits taxed to capacity while Clank could practically feel his processor melting as his metal body absorbed the heat. Unfortunately their rendezvous point was practically in the middle of nowhere with sand as far as the eye could see and not a hint of shade in sight, meaning there was little they could do other than wait for Mr Fizzwidget to arrive at the coordinates provided.

Now that she thought about it, Ellen couldn't help but wonder why the old man had chosen to retake custody of the experimental creature here of all places, and in person no less. Sure, he was apparently supposed to be giving a tour here anyway; but why not pick somewhere more defensible? Hell, why not send a retrieval team in his stead, or get them to take the Protopet straight to Megacorp headquarters? It didn't make any sense; especially since the thief was still out there and liable to make a play to reclaim what he had lost, along with that cazar merc and a shit ton of trigger happy thugs to boot. Before the human could muse any further however, her train of thought was interrupted by Clank piping up from beside her.

"There is a vessel rapidly approaching our location from the south west."

Pushing himself up from where he was sat in the shade provided by the wing of his ship, Ratchet shielded his eyes against the sun's harsh glare as he squinted in the direction his little metal friend had indicated; ears pricking up at the distant sound of whining turbines being carried on the desert winds. "That must be Mr Fizzwidget. C'mon, let's get ready."

Ellen picked up the still dozing Protopet from where she left it wrapped up in an emergency blanket and followed after the other two; the blue fluff ball remaining docile since the warm climate made it sleepy and lethargic. The approaching ship was clearly visible now; its bulbous, almost egg-shaped frame predominantly black, with short, stubby fins clustered towards the rear and a quartet of headlights on the blunt nose. Considering the amount of chrome trim running along its length and the massive bubble canopy which gave the occupants an unparalleled view, the vessel was clearly designed for luxury rather than functionality. It was also easily four times the size of Ratchet's Star Explorer, and so it was perhaps understandable as the landing gear lowered that it cast a shadow over the much smaller fighter below.

Right up to the point it landed heavily on top.

The resulting localised shockwave kicked up rocks and debris in all directions from the point of impact, and sent the three companions flying even from where they stood a good twenty feet away. Shaking his head with a groan, Ratchet spat out some sand and groggily pushed himself upright from where he laid sprawled. A quick check on his companions saw that Clank was similarly stunned and that Ellen had hunched herself protectively around the Protopet; coughing profusely as she too sat up and asked the question they were all thinking. "What the hell was that?"

"Everything's fine!" The cheerful, and all too familiar voice drew their attention to the smiling figure of Mr Fizzwidget stood just in front of them; continuing to speak as he dusted off his jacket before gesturing over his shoulder. "There was... just a bit of debris on the landing pad."

"That was our ship!" Clank stated with a glower at the elderly CEO; his optics narrowed dangerously in an uncharacteristic manner that frankly shocked his two organic companions.

'Debris' was certainly an understatement, and considering what was left of the Star Explorer, it was small wonder the little robot was so angered. The ship was practically split in two; the canopy shattered into thousands of pieces and cockpit crushed like a tin can. All of the control surfaces were either bent beyond recognition or shorn off entirely, and to make matters worse, the conformal fuel tanks must have ruptured since the surrounding sand was starting to discolour in a gradually expanding pool.

Fizzwidget however seemed unconcerned, or perhaps entirely oblivious to the hostility being directed his way as he smiled endearingly at the little silver robot. "Don't worry about it little fella; it's insured."

Ratchet and Ellen exchanged a dubious look between them at his statement; the lombax grimacing at the loss of his ship and what it was going to take to replace, while his human counterpart couldn't help but wonder if their employer was getting a little senile. That or he really needed to get his eyes checked. Apparently not noticing their concerns, Megacorp's CEO lowered his voice a little as he clasped his hands together; eyes shifting back and forth conspicuously. "So... do you have the, uh, delivery?"

"Right here." Shifting the bundle in her grasp, Ellen felt the Protopet stir awake from its impromptu nap with bleary eyes and a chittering yawn. If it weren't for the gaping maw of razor sharp teeth bared in a parody of a smile she could almost consider the little fluff ball's behaviour cute. Regardless, the redhead kept it at arms length as she handed the wrapped bundle over to Fizzwidget with a warning. "You might want to watch your fingers. He's... a bit of a biter."

"Terrifulous!" Fizzwidget exclaimed as his much larger hands enveloped the experimental creature, grasping it to his chest as he turned on his heel and strode back towards the black-painted ship. "Come, there is precious little time."

Since they weren't getting off world any other way, the three companions trailed after their employer and took the backseats in the elderly CEO's luxury vessel as he prepared to take off once more. The Protopet was secured in a pet carrier on the front passenger side of the four-seater ship, with Clank taking his usual position sitting in Ellen's lap in the very comfortable rear. As they gained altitude and left the desert sands behind, the human let her eyelids droop and relaxed into the soft leather seat with a tired sigh. The past few weeks had certainly been trying enough with everything she had been through, both before and after reuniting with the lombax she loved and her little robot friend. A short nap sounded really good right about now.

Just as she was dozing off however, Ellen heard Fizzwidget mention something about 'flying music' before her seat lurched violently upwards; snapping her awake instantly as she and her companions were ejected vertically through the luxury ship's now open canopy and began to tumble through the air. Flailing helplessly head over heels, the two organics belted their lungs out as they desperately tried to prevent themselves from plummeting to their doom. While Ellen still had her Jump Pack, it wouldn't be enough to slow both her and Ratchet down enough to stop them pancaking the ground even if she could grab hold of him, and Clank was in no position to help the lombax either considering how badly he was faring.

Fortunately or not, depending on your perspective, the three companions just so happened to fall through a naturally occurring sinkhole in the otherwise featureless desert; leading to a vast subterranean network running beneath the entire area. Impacting heavily on a huge pile of sand in the middle of an expansive cavern, the lombax and human gave a cry as the breath was driven from their lungs on impact; laying stunned for the second time within ten minutes. Thankfully the ballistic gel in the two commando's suits absorbed a majority of the force from what should have been a lethal fall, but they were definitely going to smarting for a fair while; Nanotech or not.

Unsurprisingly, since he could toggle his pain receptors off at will, Clank was the first to recover; the little robot sitting up with a scowl as he turned towards the lombax lying beside him. "He did that on purpose."

Rolling onto his side, Ratchet forced himself to sit upright while rubbing his helmet covered head; feeling a few vertebrae pop as he stretched his sore back with a wince. "Nah, he's just... easily distracted."

"Bloody senile more like," came the reply from somewhere near the bottom of the sand pile they landed on; the lombax leaning over the side to see Ellen looking back up at him on her hands and knees. "I wonder if he even knows what day of the week it is half the time."

Sliding down the miniature dune on his rear, Ratchet soon reached her with Clank not far behind; gloved hands gently grasping the redhead and helping her to stand. "You okay, babe?"

"Feels like someone just punched me in the base of my spine," she groused while rubbing said spot. "Must have hit a rock or something."

"Can you walk?"

The human nodded. "Yeah, Nanotech's kicking in, thank God. I should be alright in a minute."

"Okay..." Ratchet breathed out as his eyes took in their surroundings. "Well, we're not getting out the way we came in. Let's see if these caves lead anywhere."

Clank took his usual spot on the lombax's back as the two commandos unsteadily made their way past the sand pile they had landed on, their gait improving by the second as the nanites in their bloodstream dulled the pain and set to healing their bodies. Apparently they weren't the only ones to have fallen through the opening in the cave's roof since there were a few Megacorp branded crates scattered around that had warped from the heat; along with an dirt encrusted old, yet still functional vendor wedged between a few of the weird, bulbous stalagmites growing haphazardly from around the cavern floor's perimeter.

Aside from a meagre amount of ammunition left over, the only real item of interest was one that made Ratchet grin viciously and Ellen more than a little worried considering his pyromaniacal tendencies. The Lava Gun was a fairly conventional looking weapon that resembled an assault rifle to a degree; with a large, transparent orange tank suspended beneath a heavily vented, heat resistant barrel. Unlike the short-ranged Pyrocitor he had previously used, the Lava Gun shot a jet of burning liquid fuel like a fire hose over dozens of feet; a pair of thick ribbed tubes feeding volatile chemicals and compressed air from the centre of the weapon towards the narrowed muzzle, before mixing into a lethal cocktail that was virtually guaranteed to set anything ablaze.

"You will be careful with where you point that thing, right?" Ellen questioned warily as the lombax enthusiastically checked over his new toy with child-like glee.

"Course I will," Ratchet replied with a dismissive wave as he led them away from their landing point. "I just can't wait to try this baby out!"

Clank gave a long suffering sigh. "That is what we were afraid of."

A faint orange glow permeated the area from an unknown source up ahead, meaning neither commando had to rely on their helmet's enhanced night vision in order to negotiate the surprisingly spacious caverns. The already stale air seemed to be getting warmer the further they advanced through the relatively straight tunnel; the odd pillar of rock supporting the high ceiling along with abandoned mining equipment strewn about being the only break in the monotony. That is at least until several large quadrupedal creatures, almost like a long-necked salamander scuttled out of gaps and crevices in the walls a few hundred yards later on stubby pincer legs. A thick, burnished red carapace protected their backs and heads; a single glowing yellow eye focused entirely on their next potential meal as their rounded maws of needle-like teeth snapped in anticipation.

Ellen dropped a pair of Miniturrets to hold them back before switching over to her shotgun; more than a little alarmed that the rapidly advancing beast's armoured shells were able to tank a ridiculous number of rounds from the automated turrets before finally cracking. Thankfully the buckshot from her Blitz Gun was a lot more effective in keeping them at bay, although that meant the human had to get up close and personal to make sure they stayed down for good, and even then it still took a good two to three shells each. It was in this manner that she discovered their other natural weapon as one drew back its neck to hawk at her; Ellen instinctively diving away as the oversized bug-like creature blew out a noxious green cloud that had her helmet automatically sealing with bio hazard warnings flashing across her HUD.

Ratchet however seemed to have no such issues with his new Lava Gun; grinning manically as he walked the hose of liquid fire across the trio of crawlers heading towards him. The volatile mixture splashed across the screeching creature's carapace and adhered like napalm, melting through chitinous armour and leaving their exposed flesh vulnerable to a follow up strike. A pair of thunderous, echoing shots drew the lombax's attention back to where his partner was currently lying on the floor, her smoking hand cannon still pointed at the last bug-like beast as it swayed unsteadily for a moment before finally keeling over with an exit wound through the back of its skull.

"You alright, babe?"

Ellen accepted the outstretched hand and hauled herself up before dusting off the sediment clinging to her modified commando suit. "I think so, no damage anyway. But those things were a lot tougher than they looked. What the hell are they?"

"I believe I can answer that question," Clank piped up from over Ratchet's shoulder.

The spitting dune crawler, the little robot explained as they continued on, was a pack based ambush predator native to Tabora; often using natural terrain features to conceal themselves before striking out at unwary prey with sharp teeth and paralysing poisonous gas. Apparently they also cold blooded, and preferred to live in warm, arid climes; which might explain just why the two commandos were encountering so damn many as they pushed deeper into the cave network considering how hot it was getting. The reason for they soon discovered after blowing through a second group of crawlers and approaching a natural arch formed within the cave; a narrow river of lava bisecting their path and preventing the as yet unaware pack of bug-like predators on the other side from getting any closer.

Ratchet was about to drop a Mini Nuke in their midst when Ellen forced the barrel of his oversized grenade launcher down while shooting him a wide-eyed look. "Hey, what'd you do that for?"

"Are you insane?" she asked incredulously. "We're in a potentially unstable cave deep underground, and you're breaking out the heavy artillery!"

"Ah," the lombax vocalised intelligently as he reluctantly holstered the heavy weapon. "You've... kinda got a point." The surrounding rock walls and ceiling did look kind of cracked now that she mentioned it, and he had no intention of burying them alive alongside the local wildlife if he could help it. Not being able to risk using explosives for however long they were stuck down here was going to hurt their chances of survival however; especially since those dune crawlers liked to attack in large numbers. "Guess we're gonna be doing this the old fashioned way then, huh?"

"Yep," Ellen replied as she drew her Leviathan and pointed it at the closest foe; the Reaver being off the cards since it was liable to overheat within seconds in these conditions. "Question is, who's going in first?"

Ratchet's answer was to take a flying leap across the shallow lava pit and dive into the fray; his wrench clocking one crawler across its bony skull before turning on his heel and hosing the cluster behind him with liquid fire. Sighing at his impulsiveness, the redhead sighted on the nearest creature and pulled the trigger twice; the hand cannon's armour piercing rounds easily punching through its carapace covered hide and out the other side. Another trying to flank the furry flame-spewing commando took a heavy calibre bullet through the eye before it could get close, allowing him to continue scorching a path towards an upright pulsing, fleshy sac nearby that seemed to rapidly spawn the wretched beasts.

With the apparent source of the creatures Flambéed, the remainder were a whole lot easier to deal with now that their numbers were no longer replenished; Ellen vaulting across the short stretch of lava to assist up close with her shotgun while Ratchet switched back to his wrench and got stuck in. Once the last crawler had fallen with its carapace shattered beyond all recognition, the pair made use of some long dead vines to haul themselves up to an overhang and continued to press further still into the winding network of caves.

Aside from the occasional desert going version of the mutant swamp flies that they had previously encountered on Oozla, all was quiet until the tunnel they were following expanded into an almost dome-like chamber. The floor was split between three roughly even sections with a lake of lava in-between, two of which were occupied by hordes of spitting dune crawlers protecting their nests. Add to that more of the flying insects swarming in to attack the two commandos on sight, and it was clear that getting through here was not going to be a walk in the park. Thankfully Ratchet's Tesla Claw proved to be a very effective as an oversized bug zapper; chain lightning frying them en masse and giving Ellen a chance to set up a few more Miniturrets to pick up the slack and ensure nothing could get in close to them without being shot to pieces.

Once the impromptu air defence was in place, the two commandos went to town on the much more dangerous spitting dune crawlers now paying them the utmost attention; several hunching down briefly on their pincer-like legs and leaping across the lava with surprising dexterity for such unwieldy looking creatures. Ellen blew one out of the air with her scatter gun, racking another round into the chamber and targeting another even as the first splashed down in the lava with a terrible screech. The lombax beside her meanwhile had fallen back on his Multi-Star; several of the bladed projectiles ricocheting off chamber walls and foes alike, while tearing chunks out of the latter and keeping them off balance. Of course with so many of the damn things in such an enclosed environment, it was inevitable that at least some would make it across; spewing forth poisonous fumes before them as they closed in to biting range.

This was, however, not the duo's first close quarters battle, and certainly not the worst by far; the lombax and human seamlessly moving in concert as they sealed helmets against the gas and drew their respective melee weapons. Ratchet delivered a bone shattering uppercut to the skull of a leaping crawler, not bothering to watch it fly back the way it came as he spun low on his heel and parried a second's lunging jaws. Tearing his weapon free from the creature's maw as it recoiled, the lombax used the momentum to pivot around and briefly hop up before launching an overhead strike that slammed it face first into the unforgiving ground. Flipping over the still twitching corpse without pause, he ignored the dune crawler attempting to blindside him and hurled his wrench at another coming up behind his partner; the surprised human whirling around on instinct and finishing off the stunned beast before giving him a brief grateful nod.

Turning back to her own battle, Ellen ducked low under a quartet of pincer-like limbs flying overhead while lashing out with her Versa Blade's enhanced cutting feature activated; slicing through the screeching creature's soft underbelly and letting it hit the ground with a sickening squish as she brought her shotgun to bear on another with a resounding boom. Though they were holding their own for now, it was pretty obvious that the two commandos would soon be swamped by sheer numbers if things continued as is. Passing through the exhaled cloud of yet another crawler's poisonous breath, the human quickly jammed her knife into its exposed serpentine neck and silenced it; continuing to fend off attackers while searching for a way out of this situation. It wasn't until her previously deployed sentry guns ran out of juice and the swarming mass of insects they were stemming broke through however that inspiration struck.

"Ratchet, cover me!"

Not questioning her in the slightest, the lombax fought his way back to the redhead's side before switching back to his Lava Gun and hosing anything that came close to them; buying Ellen the precious time she needed to draw and aim her sniper rifle at the ceiling above. A single luminous green vapour trail briefly flashed in the wake of the high energy bolt as she pulled the trigger, weakening the hold of the insect's hive on the rock high above and dropping the entire construct into the pit of lava below. Unsurprisingly the desert flies both within the construct and already in the air weren't particularly happy; pouring forth like a tide of angry hornets and lashing out at whomever was nearest in a frenzied rage. Thankfully this mostly meant the still sizeable number of dune crawlers still occupying the chamber, and the two chitinous species were soon locked into an all out battle for supremacy.

Disengaging as quickly as they could, the lombax and human wasted no time in exploiting the distraction while it lasted. Swatting away the few bugs and dune crawlers that strayed too close, the two commandos blasted a path towards the rapidly sinking downed hive; using it as a stepping stone to reach the far side and leaving the chamber with all due haste. Ellen left a few more Miniturrets behind for insurance as the pair pushed through another naturally formed archway, only to pause as the ground in the wide cavern up ahead fell away to reveal a pit of burning lava. The only way across proved to be a series of narrow, ascending rock shelves suspended above the lethally hot lake below; clouds of choking sulphur obscuring the two commandos vision and pushing their suit's temperature regulating suite to the limit as they leapt from once precarious platform to the next.

With deft timing and careful use of Heli-Pack and Jump Pack respectively, Ratchet and Ellen soon made it across to more solid ground and away from the magma flow, much to their relief. The confined passage beyond was partially collapsed and a bit of a tight squeeze in places, but soon opened out onto a more roomy tunnel where a pair of stray dune crawlers scuttled forth to greet them. Both human and lombax swiftly dropped their chosen target with hand cannon and Heavy Lancer; striding over the bullet ridden corpses and clambering up a small ledge before continuing on, only to pause at a rather odd sight in their path.

Two obviously well crafted, bronze decorated plinths lay in front of the three companions, each topped with a tall glass dome held down with a single elegant, tubular locking mechanism that extended over the top from one side to the other. The right most pedestal was significantly larger and taller, the shiny new wrench contained inside the protective transparent cover drawing an appreciative eye from Ratchet as he wiped some grime off of the glass in order to get a better look. The plinth on the left however was barely half the size of its counterpart, the glass dome containing a fist-sized smooth white rock of all things much to Ellen's puzzlement. Who in their right mind made something as elaborate as this in the first place, only to leave it in some obscure cavern on a largely abandoned planet? And why were the attached plaques on each plinth written in binary code?

Tottering over to the larger of the two displays, Clank gave a brief hum of interest as he translated aloud for his organic companions. "It says: 'In case of emergency, break glass with wrench'."

"Well, I'm pretty sure this qualifies as an emergency," Ellen mused; entirely unsurprised to see Ratchet eagerly hefting his own wrench and preparing to 'liberate' the new model with all due haste..

"Hold on," the little robot interrupted with a raised digit as he examined the other plaque. "This one says: 'Use rock to break glass, to get wrench, to break glass, to get rock.' Ooh, I love logic puzzles! Let me see; if you break the glass..."

Ellen winced as the lombax beside her did just that; shattering the protective dome into hundreds of fragments with one good swing before plucking his ill gotten prize from the pedestal. "Solved it."

Clank's shoulders slumped a little as he watched his golden-furred friend weighing up the two wrenches in his possession before discarding the old one. "While I can not question its effectiveness, I do not believe that was the intended solution."

The redhead stood beside him shook her head mirthfully. "I'm pretty sure the designer didn't take Ratchet into account when they made this puzzle, or lombaxes in general."

"Well it worked, didn't it?" Ratchet retorted with a genuine smile as he twirled his new tool-come-weapon in one hand; the dulled orange highlights and barely discernable, dark blue coating shimmering in what little light there was inside the caverns. "Now c'mon, we must be getting close to the surface by now."

Ducking through a partially collapsed archway once Clank had retaken his usual spot on Ratchet's back, the two commandos scrambled over a blockade of fallen stalactites and pulled themselves up to a raised section of the cave they were traversing before continuing to move on. The area ahead opened up into an expansive chamber with both a high ceiling and a meandering, ascending walkway formed from solidified volcanic rock; the path winding around the edge of the lava filled cavern and unsurprisingly choked with even more dune crawlers plus the occasional sand fly.

Ellen's shotgun boomed repeatedly as they relentlessly pushed forward, her partner's Lava Gun sparing nothing that escaped the initial barrage of buckshot and giving the human a chance to reload. Ratchet only paused long enough to throw his shiny new wrench on an arc to pulp the crawler-spawning nest ahead of them as they jumped over a collapsed section, catching it again in one smooth motion and braining another of the persistent creatures he passed by. The pair soon turned a corner on the misshapen path and began their ascent; a wall to wall tide of the chitinous terrors charging forth straight into the mouths of a Miniturret quartet that promptly shredded the frontrunners before they could even get close.

With the lombax and human contributing their own weight of fire, the end result was never in doubt. The half dozen stragglers left over proved little match for the Leviathan's armour-piercing rounds, while Ratchet elected to save the dwindling supply for his ammo hungry Lava Gun and dashed forth to get up close and personal. The two commandos regrouped once the last dune crawler had been finished off via a rising uppercut from the lombax's wrench; Ellen reloading on the run before switching back to her shotgun as they ducked through a narrowed archway at the top of the stone path.

A conveniently placed Versa-Target allowed them to latch on with Swingshot and Grapple Gun, swinging across a fair-sized pit brimming with lava and quite literally landing on top of a quartet of the chitinous beasts that roamed these caverns. The dune crawlers screeched in surprise at the sudden intrusion of their space; the two whom had collapsed under the unfamiliar weights impacting their backs with pincer legs splayed more so as Ratchet and Ellen rolled off and gunned down the remaining pair in rapid succession before dealing with their temporary 'cushions'. Now that there was nothing actively trying to kill them, the appearance of natural light coming from somewhere far below was much more obvious; the two commandos electing to slide down an embankment made up of sand and loose sediment and out into blessed daylight once more.

It was little more than a widened crevice really, shifting sand lining the ground while walls of jagged rock that rose for a good thirty or so feet encased all sides. There was an apparently still active elevator shaft on the far side of the boxed in area just ahead, likely for transporting the miners to and from the surface when this place was still active, although right now it was their ticket out of here. Before the trio could cross half the distance however, the whining of turbines overhead drew their attention as an all too familiar dark crimson-painted shuttle descended to block their way; kicking up enough sand and sediment to temporarily obscure their vision until it powered down upon landing. Clank looked on worriedly once the dust settled, his organic companions glaring at the vessel's occupant with narrowed eyes and weapons raised as their helmet's unsealed once more.

It was a gesture that was returned in kind, the thief not looking away for a second as he popped the canopy and stepped down from his ship with a heavy pistol in hand. "Hand over the experiment, right now!"

"Sorry pal," Ratchet dryly quipped with a shake of his head; Heavy Lancer aimed unwaveringly at the masked man's chest. "But we can't do that."

"You think this is a game?!" the masked man snarled; Ellen's Leviathan jerking to follow as he leapt on top of his landed vessel for some reason. "You have exactly three seconds. One..."

The lombax tightened his grip on the light machine gun in his hands; casting an eye towards his partner and getting an almost imperceptible nod in return.

"Two..."

Ellen's finger twitched on the trigger, having dealt with just about enough crap for one day thanks to this guy already. All she needed was an excuse.

"Thr- Waahh!"

The two commandos almost fired on instinct as the cape-wearing felon overbalanced and fell from his elevated perch; the breath driven from his lungs as he face-planted heavily. Racing to secure the thief before he could recover, Ellen kept her hand cannon trained on their prone foe as she approached from one side while Ratchet mirrored her actions; the pair fully intent on getting answers from the man who had been dogging them since this whole mess began. That was, at least, until he began to stir and attempt to stand up. His usually smooth and featureless mask hung cracked and askew while sparking sporadically; what was obviously an advanced form of Hologuise flickering around the thief's form before finally dying, revealing two rather shocking truths to the lombax and human that had both gasping for different reasons.

"You're... You're a lombax," Ellen breathed; scarcely believing her eyes as she watched what at first glance appeared to be an older, taller, and obviously feminine example of Ratchet's species tear off what was left of the mask and stumble to her feet. While both shared the same kind of lithe body structure, toned muscle, golden fur with brown tiger stripes, and distinctly feline features, that was where any similarities ended; the still armed and scowling woman having much softer features, a more stunted version of the archetypal pointed lombax ears, and a pair of crystal blue eyes similar to Ellen's own.

Curiously enough, she didn't possess a tail as the human anticipated, but instead had an elongated, almost waist length crest with the same colouration and markings as her fur descending like a pony tail from beneath a lightweight, open-faced cyan helmet. The rest of the mystery woman's attire shared a similar colour scheme, her sleeveless blue and cyan trimmed ballistic weave jumpsuit bearing a passing resemblance to those worn as standard by Megacorp commandos. The only exceptions to this were the thick, nigh elbow length black gloves almost like Ratchet's, a silver metallic utility belt adorned with numerous small pockets, and a matching pair of knee high boots with reinforced shin guards and glowing orange trim.

"Whoa, wait! You're a girl?!" Ratchet exclaimed upon catching sight of their now revealed adversary's true form, throwing his hands up at the incredulous looks the two females present were giving him. "What? How were we supposed to tell? It's not like she had any..."

Clank gave his golden-furred friend a reprimanding nudge on the leg at the grasping motions he made in front of his chest while Ellen rolled her eyes; resolving to have words with Ratchet later on with regards to tactfulness among other things when they weren't in a life or death situation. The other lombax however huffed indignantly as she drew herself up to her full height, defensively crossing an arm over a fair-sized bust while the other kept her heavy pistol pointed their way at hip height; her now undistorted and feminine voice harsh as she scowled at the shorter male. "Do you mind? It's not like I didn't have enough of that back in high school; and besides, this changes nothing!"

"You're right," came the dark retort from the unmasked thief's left, her eyes flickering towards the source and a Leviathan hand cannon being pointed directly at her face by a stone-faced human. "This doesn't change a damn thing, and you've got a lot to answer for."

After everything he had told her previously with regards to his failed attempts at tracking down his parents, right here in front of the redhead was perhaps the one link to locating Ratchet's own species, and ultimately unravelling the mystery of his past. It was for this reason, sorely tempted though she was, that Ellen didn't immediately pull the trigger; vengeance for the woman's repeated attempts to have them all killed and what she had done to Clank in Megapolis warring with the more moralistic and logical part of the human's brain that needed to know why. There was something much greater at work here they just weren't seeing, and she just knew the other lombax held the key.

"I've got a lot to answer for?!" the mystery woman snarled. "What about you?! Do you even realise what you're involved in; what you're responsible for?!"

"You can talk! Do you even know how many people died on Oozla because of you and your mercs?" Ellen angrily retorted; seeing a flicker of emotion in the taller lombax's eyes and going in for the kill. "Not to mention all the shit you've put us through just to steal a goddamned piece of blue fluff, along with all the lives that have been ruined along the way!"

Ratchet and Clank watched the heated verbal tennis match with wide eyes darting back and forth between the participants, idly wondering if either of the females realised that they were still armed as they leaned ever closer into each other's personal space. With this much tension, one or the other was certainly going to snap sooner than not; and when they did, things were likely going to get violent.

"You think I wanted any of that?!" the thief snapped before forcibly calming herself. "Oozla was an accident, and those people knew the risks when they transferred there to work. But right now the entire galaxy is in imminent danger thanks to that 'piece of blue fluff', and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to stop that thing from ever seeing the light of day."

"Including kidnapping and torturing one of my friends; using him as bait to lure us into a trap?" Ellen questioned rhetorically with a cold stare; Clank shifting uncomfortably at the reminder as she continued. "Is that why you killed off all the other scientists when you blew up the Protopet lab and kidnapped Doctor Cross? Do the ends really justify the means?"

The lombax's demeanour darkened, her lips curling back with a low, dangerous growl emanating from the back of her throat. "You think... I did that?" she hissed; blood boiling and hands balling into fists. "Those were my friends; people I've known and trusted for years, and you dare accuse me of murdering them?!"

"Considering how ruthless you've been in pursuit of your goals, I think you're more than capable," the redhead stated bluntly; only for her next words to be interrupted by an anguished cry as the clearly enraged woman lunged at her.

Ellen's finger tightened instinctively on her hand cannon's trigger, only for it to be knocked aside and discharge harmlessly into the air; the thief's heavy pistol similarly deflected a split second later before a laser bolt could punch through the human's helmet. Grabbing the woman's wrist with her free hand, Ellen twisted the offending limb until the lombax let go of her heavy pistol; receiving a knee to the stomach that doubled her over and one to the face, losing her own weapon in the process. Grunting with the sudden impacts, the human lashed out with a straight punch followed by an uppercut to the jaw; jumping back away from a fumbled kick and wiping the blood away from her upper lip before taking the offensive once more.

As the two females wrestled for control, it became increasingly clear that while the lombax seemed to be inexperienced in hand to hand combat; her natural speed and agility allowing her to keep up with the red-headed commando's more brutal style. Ellen let herself be pushed back as her opponent threw blatantly telegraphed, rage-fuelled punches; waiting for the woman to overextend her left arm before grabbing it and using the momentum to spin around and drive an elbow into the lombax's gut, followed by a left hook to the face that had her opponent reeling. The thief rapidly recovered however and shoulder tackled the human with a snarl; knocking them both to the ground and culminating in the two females trading punches and insults as they rolled over one another in the all pervading desert sand.

Before they could tear into each other further however, an echoing burst of gunfire in the narrow confines of the sunken crevice gave the brawling lombax and human pause; their gaze drawn towards a distinctly unamused Ratchet still pointing his Heavy Lancer towards the sky as he stalked forth with Clank in tow. "That's enough, both of you! It's been a long day, and I want answers as much as anyone; but killing each other isn't going to solve anything!"

"Couldn't agree more, mate," said an all too familiar Australian-accented voice from somewhere just above and behind the golden-furred commando's head; the lombax whipping around with his weapon raised towards the source.

"You again?!" Ratchet yelled in surprise. "What the heck are you doing here?!"

From her prone position pinned beneath Ellen, the thief glared up at the cazar merc with a scowl. "Damn it Harding, how long have you been sitting there?"

Cash Harding tipped his hat in greeting from where he was perched on a jutting section mid-way up the rock face; one leg dangling free while the other was pulled up to his chest with an arm lazily draped over the top, sharpening his machete with a whetting stone. "Now, see, those are some interesting questions. So, in order: yes, I was doing me job, and long enough to know that certain things about this contract aren't exactly on the up-and-up."

"You're a mercenary damn it!" his increasingly irritated lombax employer snarled. "I paid you good money to stop these idiots from getting their hands on the Protopet, not sit on your ass! Now get down here and help me!"

"I was paid by one mysterious masked bloke to protect him from a couple of commandos long enough to do his business; a contract I fulfilled to the letter up to the point he tried to blow me up and left me for dead on that piss hole of a planet," the cazar replied with an unnerving calm that had everyone else present on edge; holding his blade up to the light in order to inspect it. "Now, it's not the first time I've been burned on the job, and it probably won't be the last; but I make a habit of seeing every contract through to the end. So I tracked your ships here and decided to set up an ambush, real quiet like. Imagine my surprise then when it turns out the one who hired me technically doesn't exist since he's really a Sheila in disguise."

"That's beside the-"

"No, that's exactly the point," Cash interrupted before the woman could rebuke him. "Because, without the original client I signed on for, this job is null and void; meaning I no longer have any obligation whatsoever." Hopping down from his perch and landing heavily in a crouch, the veteran merc steadily rose to his feet before sheathing his machete and casually meandering past the machine gun-toting lombax commando with hands in pockets towards the two females still entangled on the ground.

"So... you're not here to kill us?" Ratchet questioned warily as he trailed a few yards behind while keeping his weapon not quite pointed towards the casually strolling, bleached-furred cazar.

"Not unless you give me reason to, mate," the quasi-Aussie grinned over his shoulder. "Though I wouldn't mind a rematch some time; you're pretty handy with that wrench." His expression sobered however as they approached the remaining members of the present group; a clearly distrustful Ellen now standing off to one side with Clank, wiping a trail of blood from her dripping nose while flickering her gaze between Cash and the dishevelled looking mystery woman, who looked just as wary of the people surrounding her and perhaps a little fearful. "But first things first. I reckon you've got a lot of questions, and I'm just as interested in hearing the answers."

True to his word, the veteran cazar merc merely crossed his arms and shifted his weight on to one leg as he looked on, gaining an almost imperceptible nod of respect from the short-statured lombax as he took a few paces towards his much taller female counterpart. Ratchet took in her features much like Ellen did earlier, before the pair of them had torn into each other; realisation sinking in that this woman, this lombax, may well hold the key to his own past and finding out what happened to his family. He must have lingered a little too long however as her crystal blue eyes narrowed into a glare as she folded her arms defensively. "And what're you staring at? Never seen a lombax before?"

"Uh, no, actually... You're kinda the first," Ratchet replied hesitantly; gaining a surprised look from the taller female.

"Wait, seriously? You've never met another lombax before?" Her eyes softened at his downcast look. "What about your parents?"

The shorter commando slowly shook his head. "I never knew them, and I don't even know if they're still alive." Ratchet's gaze met the former thief's own; a sense of longing clearly visible as he continued. "Y'know, I'd almost given up hope, that I was the last of my kind. But now that you're here, I have so many questions..."

"And hopefully you'll have your answers with time," Ellen interceded gently; having calmed down sufficiently enough from the fight to get things back on track. "But right now we need to focus on the here and now. So, who are you really, and what did you do with Doctor Cross?"

The latter questions were directed towards the former thief, who directed a scowl back towards the redhead. "You're looking at her, genius." She rolled her eyes at the surprised looks on the other four's faces with an exasperated sigh. "Doctor Angela Cross, PhD; formerly of Megacorp's genetics division. Now, my turn; where is the experiment?"

"We have already returned it to Mr Fizzwidget, prior to your arrival," Clank answered; to which Angela facepalmed with a growl of frustration.

"Ugh, you idiots! Do you have any idea what you've done?!"

"Returned company property?" the little robot queried with a curious tilt of his helm.

"What are you- Wait, genetics?" the human questioned aloud while connecting the dots, eyes widening in realisation as she pointed an accusing finger at the supposed good doctor. "You were working on the Protopet, weren't you? So why stage all... this; what did you hope to gain?"

"We were working on fixing the Protopet's flaws!" Angela interrupted harshly; holding the pointer finger and thumb of her left hand up for emphasis. "We were this close to succeeding when Fizzwidget suddenly pushed up the scheduled release date. Sam and Bert - that is, Professor Pilgrim and Doctor Carter - both agreed with me that the experiment was nowhere near safe enough to be marketed and requested it be delayed. When we were refused, it was pretty clear that we had to take matters into our own hands. But the day before we could make our move, the lab came under attack and... everybody else died."

"Sounds like you pissed off the wrong people and tried to clean house," Cash added thoughtfully. "Did you get a good look at the attackers?"

Clearly affected by reliving such a traumatic experience, the female lombax closed her eyes and let out a shuddering breath before continuing. "No, or at least not their faces. But at least one of them was definitely a Megacorp commando; I'd recognise that uniform and equipment anywhere."

The last part was blatantly directed more towards the sole human present rather than her lombax partner; Angela clearly still holding a grudge from their earlier verbal and physical fight. Trying to keep things civil, Ratchet cleared his throat to get their attention. "So, what happened next?"

The former Megacorp scientist sighed. "I grabbed what I could of the data and the only living sample before escaping and going off the grid; trying to stay one step ahead of the company while finishing the job my colleagues started. I disguised myself to get Megacorp off my back, commandeered one of their old flying hot labs on Aranos so I could research the experiment further, and... well... you know what happened next."

"But... why go through all that only try and get rid of it?" Ellen insisted. "I mean, you were going to blow the little fluff ball up with a ballistic missile of all things!"

Doctor Cross gave the redhead an unreadable look, something approaching realisation in her eyes. "You really have no idea how dangerous that thing is, do you?" She snorted in derision. "And I doubt anything I say will convince you otherwise, but hear me out. Megacorp can't be trusted; and now that you've given them what they want, you'll be considered a loose end to be tied up. If you want to survive, and have any intention of fixing the mess you've made, watch this." The taller lombax dropped a small ball-like drone which stayed suspended a few feet off the ground; promptly spitting in half to reveal a rapidly extending holovision screen. "I'll contact you when I find something, assuming you're still alive."

"And what makes you think we'll trust you?" Ellen asked with narrowed eyes. "Especially after everything you've pulled."

"I don't," Angela replied bluntly. "Just like I don't trust you three not to stab me in the back. But right now I'm willing to take any help I can get; speaking of which..." She turned her attention towards the thoughtful looking mercenary stood nearby. "I don't suppose you're up for another contract?"

Cash shrugged nonchalantly. "Depends on what it is; and if the money's good."

The exasperated woman rolled her eyes. "Keeping me safe, from them and everyone else. Indefinite contract; first payment in advance."

The weathered cazar adjusted his slouch hat with a grin. "Now, see, that's a contract I can get behind!" His new employer - or renewed, depending on how you looked at it - strolled past him towards her ship; spooling up the engines and taking off without resistance thanks to the implied threat provided by the bleach-furred mercenary, who gave the two commandos and little robot an appreciative chuckle along with a respective nod. "Things keep up the way they are, reckon we'll be seeing you lot again sooner than she thinks. Till then, don't be a stranger."

Watching the veteran merc turned bodyguard take the lift up and out of sight, the three companions gathered around the smart monitor left behind and played back the only video left on its internal storage. On screen, a test bot nigh identical to those they had encountered back at Gadgetron's headquarters during their first adventure together, inserted a slice of bread into a toaster and pulled down the handle; watching intently for the few seconds it took the device to shake violently and explode, taking the robot's head with it. "Oh no! Good thing that wasn't little Susie." The screen changed to show a burnished steel version of the Megacorp logo over a black and yellow hazard tape background; soon changing to a monochrome still image of a high-tech facility with tall, pointed towers and shorter round-domed buildings as the 1950's radio ham voiced narrator continuing his spiel over the top.

"Here at the Megacorp Testing Facility, we make sure the products you buy are safe for you and your family. These are just a few of the products we've rejected to help keep you safe." A cycloptic skull and crossbones briefly flashed on to the screen, followed by a series of slides depicting each item. "The Tiny-Tot Slingshot, the Nuclear Mousetrap, Self-Wedgifying Underwear, and the Lawn Ninjas." The video switched back to another, identical-looking test-bot using a toaster in the same manner as its predecessor; shielding its face with a wince before giving a relieved thumbs up to the camera when the perfectly toasted bread popped back up with no lethal consequences. "So the next time your toaster doesn't explode in your face, say a little thank you to the Megacorp Testing Facility."

The screen faded to black as the video ended, leaving Ratchet furrow-browed as he rubbed his chin. "Well that explains... virtually nothing. What's this testing facility got to do with the Protopet, and why does she want us to go there?"

"I am unsure," Clank replied with a puzzled frown as he downloaded the provided coordinates from the drone. "However, Doctor Cross appeared to believe there was something there that may convince us to aid her cause."

"That's assuming it's not another trap," Ellen pointed out. "We've walked into enough of those already; who's to say she won't pull another one?"

"Be that as it may," the little silver robot countered. "I believe we should at least investigate the location in order to ascertain the truth for ourselves."

Ratchet stretched with a grunting sigh. "Well, if we're gonna get off this rock in the first place then we'll need a new ship. C'mon, let's go see what we can salvage."

So saying, the lombax led their group over to the now returned elevator which was ridden in companionable silence to the desert surface above. Ellen however couldn't help but reply the prior conversations between their disparate groups over and over in her head, trying to put the pieces together in order to understand the bigger picture. There was something off with Mr Fizzwidget, of that she was certain; but to the point he would have his employees silenced in order to cover up the Protopet's disappearance? It didn't make any sense, but an inherent sense of paranoia was telling the redhead that at least some of what rogue lombax geneticist was saying had a kernel of truth. If that was the case, and the upper echelons of Megacorp were dirty, then who could they trust? Who was the real enemy? The answers were out there somewhere, and Ellen intended to find out before they could end them all.

That is, as soon as they could find a way off this damn planet.

And so the mysterious thief's identity is finally revealed, along with a new dilemma for our heroes. I always felt Angela got off way too easy here in canon considering what she put Ratchet and Clank through. As do a number of you as well judging by several prior reviews, and so as a result, I tried to make the confrontation both more intense and realistic considering the circumstances. It turned out to be a major headache to get to where it is now, and went through several iterations plus four major rewrites as previously mentioned (one of which was a lot more violent) before finally settling on this version. Hopefully I did the scene justice.

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

Thanks for reading

- RevenantReaper337