Author's note:
Back again with your regularly scheduled update, and might I say it's been a surprise to see such a sudden burst of increased interest in this series. Not that I'm complaining, but the number of favourites, follows and views just seem to have jumped up without warning, and Time Heals All has just become my first story to ever exceed 100 favourites; with Whole Again not far behind. It's probably a given by now, but thank you all so much for your continued support and encouragement; giving me the motivation I need to see this thing through to the end.
Getting back on track though, I'm relieved at the overwhelmingly positive feedback for the last chapter and that the split perspectives with their vastly different pacing didn't put anyone off. I know it's a mechanic I've used a lot before, but not quite in the same way, and perhaps one likely to be repeated again soon in the near future considering how well it seems to have worked. Not much else to say otherwise, so let's get to it, shall we?
Review replies:
Destiny W - Thank you once again, hope you like this one too.
Sonachugirl - Cue MGS theme music indeed; pretty much all of Ellen's side through the chapter is a borderline parody of the game, with plethora of other references hidden in plain sight too. Considering how inherently paranoid Ellen can be, she's definitely more than a little wary of Fizzwidget and Megacorp's intentions right now. I just took a gander at your Colors gallery by the way, and my have you been busy since my last visit! Really liking the new pieces, and you should be proud; those Cry thumbnails are brilliant. Also, thanks for the shout out/free advertising that is 'Me and fanfics Again'. But out of curiosity, who is that on the left?
starrat - Glad you did, thank you.
Firestar5277 - Aw, thanks! Contrasting Ellen's stealth section with Ratchet and Clank's giant robot brawl just felt right in terms of pacing between cautious movement and all out action, so I'm glad you approve. The openly bribing computer always made me smirk in canon… right up to the point the player is expected to drop 10k of hard earned bolts just to progress, hence why I had Ellen hack it instead.
I always thought the research facility's internal architecture was a bit weird and frankly too open to be honest. Like you said, who the hell puts ridiculously high ceiling rooms with wall-sized windows in a supposedly secret section of a highly secure structure? Seriously? As for Ace… He won't be back for a little while, but he's definitely lurking somewhere out there; continuing his search for Doctor Cross. What will happen if or when he finds out that the Protopet thief and Angela are one of the same however… In any case, thanks again, and hope you enjoy the new chapter. Take care!
OMNISENSE95 - Thanks. To answer your question, and given her previous track record, I believe 'not best pleased' would be a slight understatement…
DarkEnigma95 - Glad you liked the way this chapter panned out, along with the additional content and extension to canon. I really wanted to try and sell the sheer amount of destruction and mayhem caused by the Giant Clank battle; contrasting it with Ellen's much more subtle and stealthy infiltration. I really wish there was more to the facility too, but who knows? If the upcoming Ratchet and Clank game is successful enough to spawn a sequel, then maybe we'll get to see a full on remake of Going Commando too.
Ah, I remember that part in Up Your Arsenal, and will probably end up making him a more fleshed out character if what I've got planned works out. Ellen is gradually starting to get better with regards to her fear of heights, and like you said, by the time we get to the third game's events she's definitely going to need to get a grip on it for those airborne insertions. Big clue indeed there at the conclusion of the last chapter; if Ellen wasn't suspicious before, then she is now. Until next time, take care, and hope you enjoy the new chapter.
Light Seeker 001 - I've honestly tried to avoid finding out too much about the upcoming game and movie so as not to be disappointed by over hype, but from what I've seen this is going to be a very welcome reboot of the series and one that I reverently hope will continue for years to come on both parts. You're right in that the third story in this series is a long way off yet, but I've definitely been thinking about it and planning ahead where I can.
You raise some valid points, and were I to stick strictly to canon than I would wholeheartedly agree; but my interpretation of Up Your Arsenal is likely to have a much darker undertone than the game considering it deals with a galactic wide war against a robot supremacist who wants to wipe out all organic life. Ellen would likely draw parallels with some of the darker periods of recent human history, and though she wouldn't blindly hate Nefarious unless a more personal tragedy occurred as a result of his actions, he will definitely be topping her shit list for the foreseeable future. Also, although she might approve of what the Q-Force stands for in spite of Qwark's intentions, there's now way she would willingly wear anything with his logo plastered over it. Not that certain parties won't try to make sure she does otherwise…
vengarl22 - Thank you, and I know, right? Why have a random teleporter that allows pretty much anyone to just jump straight into a highly secure facility while bypassing nigh all the security measures? It doesn't make any sense, and nor is it any kind of challenge, so I decided to have Ellen infiltrate the place through stealth instead.
Dablackwyrm - Hey-hey, welcome back! It's been too long! Glad you're enjoying the story so far, and the way that chapter panned out with my own tweaks to canon. I'm guessing you've got some catching up to do before you're up to date, but at least you've got plenty of reading material to tide you over until then without having to wait every 2 weeks for an update. Take care, and hope to hear from you again soon.
OMAC001 - Thank you very much! If you liked the arena battle back in chapter 7, then (hopefully) you're going to love what I've got in store for the next chapter…
The White Guardian - …Just a tinsy bit late, but since I'm kind of behind with updating I guess it all evens out. Yeah, I guess Insomniac didn't have the space or time to implement something more complicated. But the teleporter just felt like a bit of a cop out really considering how secure the test facility is supposed to be; hence I tried to make things more interesting with a MGS-inspired stealth section. Glad you liked it. I've actually only just got hold of the new game today, and by the time you read this I'll have been ploughing through the first few levels with childish glee. Suffice to say I won't be getting any writing done for a few days at least. I'm guessing you've got a lot going on right now, so don't worry about or feel compelled to hammer out an in-depth review; I'm just glad to hear from you. Take care.
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 time to kill in a more literal sense, our heroes find themselves spending a little down time on the beautiful world of Joba. But with the Megacorp Games in full swing, will a reluctant Ellen be willing to enter the arena once more? Find out in Chapter 22.
- 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 22:
Let the Games Begin
The Megacorp Games Venue, Joba
Bogon Galaxy
G2.17.083 Galactic calendar
6:13pm local time
To say Ellen wasn't best pleased once Ratchet had explained where they were going and why would be an understatement; especially considering her previously stated views on gladiatorial combat back at the Maktar Resort. The redhead had made her opinion on organised 'blood sports' very clear; and it was only through her golden-furred counterpart's assurances that she wouldn't have to take part, plus the promise of another stress relieving massage later, that caused her to relent. That, and the fact Mr Fizzwidget still hadn't gotten back to them with regards to when the Protopet would be ready for transport to the disposal facility, meaning they had plenty of time to kill. Nevertheless, and despite the human's unease at potentially going through the same kind of situation all over again, they had made it to the remote world where Megacorp was holding their extravaganza event without a hitch; and in record time too.
Early dusk was just starting to settle in as the two Star Explorers entered the atmosphere; the skies tinged an eclectic blend of mauve and purple that gave the landscape below a sense of ethereal beauty. Their descending course led the two ships towards a series of interconnected islets far north of the main continent that were linked via natural bridges of rock, the ocean having apparently eroded a fair portion of the original island away to the point where there was only one major mass of land; narrowing down options for potential landing zones to but a few locations within walking distance of where Megacorp had built their enclosed arena for the games. Stepping down from the cockpit once the engines had wound down, Ellen couldn't help but marvel at their new surroundings with wide eyes drinking in every detail she could; the balmy air having a slightly salty, ocean-like quality to it due to their proximity to the sea.
Despite how the copper-coloured, primary landmasses concentrated on the northern hemisphere may have appeared from orbit, Joba itself was actually a rich and largely unspoiled garden world with extensive forests and an abundant eco-system. The trees themselves were an odd product of their environment; thick rounded trunks supporting a short but bulbous, lush green canopy, from which layers of toadstool-like fungus protruded through gaps in the leaf coverage. Instead of grass, a soft and widespread lichen covered most of the ground that wasn't a regularly used trail or plain bare rock; attracting numerous insect species which in turn were preyed upon by small flocks of pale blue-feathered birds that heavily resembled a large seagull with duck-like features. Aside from the limited infrastructure Megacorp already had in place and the local tribes inhabiting the area, it was a virtually untouched world just begging to be explored.
"Heck of a view, isn't it?" Ratchet asked softly as he drew level with where the redheaded girl was still stood; turning his head slightly to take in her faraway expression with a gentle smirk. "Bet you're glad we came now, huh?"
Shaking her head to refocus, Ellen sighed wistfully. "In an odd way I am; it's just so... beautiful here. I only just wish we didn't have to deal with anymore of this gladiator bullshit."
Wrapping an arm around her waist, the lombax gave his partner a reassuring squeeze along with an easygoing smile. "Don't worry babe, no one's forcing you to do anything. Heck, me and Clank can probably take care of the arena ourselves if you wanna just take a look at the hoverbike races or just hang around for a while."
"What, and let you two take on who knows what by yourselves in there while I worry my arse off?" Ellen snorted incredulously, knowing Ratchet intended to enter the contest no matter what. "Like hell I am. I might not like the idea of charging back into another gladiatorial arena death match, but that doesn't mean I haven't got your back. Besides, if it's anything like the last one then you're going to need all the help you can get."
"That's my girl," Ratchet shot back a few reflective moments later with a dry chuckle. "Always thinking about everyone but yourself."
Patting her on the shoulder with his free hand before disengaging from their impromptu hug, the lombax waved the human on as he led them away from their shared landing zone; proceeding to cross a narrow, rock-carved bridge with sealed lamps attached to the railing running along the left side that attracted numerous fireflies. Leaving the natural light show behind, the pair soon arrived on a craggy plateau sporting clusters of stalked, lily pad-like plants surrounding the beaten path, along with a few of Joba's incredibly thick-trunked trees. Of more interest to the two commandos however were both the imposing view of the arena complex nestled near the top of the tallest peak along with the sprawl of structures below, and the company branded weapons vendor parked just before the next bridge leading over to the main islet beyond.
Aside from making sure their ammo reserves were filled to capacity with their dwindling finances, the lombax and human took the opportunity to check out any new products on sale as well. Though she still couldn't afford the Bouncer much to her disappointment, Ellen's interest was piqued by the surprisingly cheap Spiderbot Glove; an arm-mounted device designed to deploy and remotely control a single arachnid-inspired recon drone with a concentrated explosive payload that had all kinds of useful applications. Tempting as it was though, the redhead decided against it for now in favour of saving money towards the cluster bomb launcher; perhaps something she might be able to afford should they clean out in the arena.
Ratchet on the other hand similarly turned down the Plasma Coil, a sci-fi ray gun inspired weapon with three distinct prongs flanking the muzzle that fulfilled a similar role to his Tesla Claw; partly because he already had an electricity-based weapon, but mostly due to the exorbitant six figure price tag. He did however take the opportunity to snap up an upgrade kit for his Seeker Gun which was promptly put to good use, leaving him holding the new and improved HK22 Gun. Aside from being almost a third the size again as its predecessor and sporting a dulled, reddish-orange metallic paint scheme, the launcher was much more efficient and could now disgorge three independently-seeking homing missiles with each pull of the trigger without consuming any more ammunition than before.
Leaving the vendor behind, Ratchet took point across the second rock-carved bridge with Ellen following closely behind; the raised elevation preventing either from seeing the three armed figures clustered ahead until it was too late. Aside from the obvious segmented crimson-plated body armour and full face helmet they wore over predominantly animal hide clothing, the trio stood conversing in front of the clearly artificial hanger sandwiched between a thick canopy of densely packed trees looked nigh identical to the tribesmen they had previously encountered on Barlow; right down to the choice of weaponry and mannerisms. This was most obvious when one whipped his gaze towards the two commandos and shouted something in his guttural, incomprehensible tongue; the other two whirling around with swords brandished and shields raised before immediately charging forth into a torrent of automatic fire.
"Well, here we go again."
Ratchet's words proved true since these Joba tribesmen seemed to use the same tactics as their close cousins, although their superior armour made them much harder to kill and more likely to get into close quarters where they could bring their heavy blades to bear. Realising this, Ellen swapped out her carbine while backpedaling in favour of bringing her hand cannon to bear; the heavy, armour piercing rounds proving to be much more effective when coupled with independently triggered explosive tips that shattered the closest charging tribesman's shield along with his chest plate. While the human was busy however, her lombax counterpart was already preparing to counter the other two with his Lava Gun already in hand; whipping a trail of liquid fire through the air towards the closest swordsman and spinning to face the third when a beam of green energy stabbed through the air just above his head followed by two more in quick succession.
There was a fourth tribesman keeping his distance from where he had emerged behind a thick tree trunk; a short-barrelled rifle resembling a bulkier version of Ellen's old Blaster held outstretched in one hand while the other held a drawn sword by his side. Ratchet ducked beneath the swing of a heavy blade aimed at bisecting him and sprang away from a follow up volley of laser fire, only for the ranged assailant to suddenly drop dead thanks to his redheaded partner's sniper rifle; reorienting himself in mid-air and using his wrench to parry a diagonal slash from the still alive tribesman he had previously ignited before going on the offensive.
The purple-skinned man had discarded his ruined chest plate was unsurprisingly livid, and for a moment seemed to keep the lombax on the back foot in concert with his fellow tribesman until an overextended thrust left him open to a bone shattering wrench strike. Screeching with pain, the unarmoured scavenger dropped his blade in favour of clutching his clearly broken arm and was entirely unprepared for the subsequent knock out blow; the other tribesman faring no better once Ratchet had gained enough distance to unleash a spread of HK22 Gun missiles and send the broken body flying like a rag doll across the soon to be quiet plateau.
Breathing a sigh of relief once the brief encounter was over, Ellen stowed the Vaporizer and rejoined her nonplussed lombax partner; the pair soon debating where to go with Clank occasionally pitching in. The hanger-like structure seemed to be more of a tunnel if the temporary signpost next to it was anything to go on, indicating that the gladiatorial arena was directly through the other side while the hoverbike races were apparently being held somewhere off to their right; presumably past the series of small, raised plateaus high above sea level that they could see extending away through the still thick tree line.
Deciding to check out what seemed to be the closest point of interest first, the two commandos set out at a light jog along the lichen covered, rocky path with vines crossing between the lusciously green canopy on either side; ending abruptly at a cliff edge overlooking the first plateau which was swiftly reached by transferring between a pair of Versa-Targets via Swingshot and Grapple Gun respectively. Up close it became apparent that both plateaus held a control tower-like structure of sorts apiece that overlooked the smaller islets and ocean beyond off to their immediate left, neither human nor lombax dwelling on their purpose in favour of finding a way across the currently raised bridges leading towards their presumed destination. Thankfully it was simplicity itself to tether on with their respective gadgets and pull the structures back down in concert with some effort so that they could cross.
There was another control tower just beside the previously concealed entrance across the last bridge, leading into what turned out to be a small, metal-panelled garage embedded within the cliff itself and currently occupied by a vaguely familiar face stood next to his currently parked ride. The broad-shouldered man in question towered over all three of the nominally Megacorp affiliated companions; decked out in a high-necked black leather jacket sporting a flame motif running across the arms, scuffed jeans, and heavy boots, plus several silver chains hanging off of the belt around his waist. It wasn't until the blue-skinned, vaguely dog-like looking biker turned to face them with his yellow eyes narrowed however that Ellen realised where she had seen him before; recognising him as the second biker from the Desert Riders commercial she had seen after successfully blowing up the Thugs-4-Less jamming array orbiting Maktar Resort.
Drawing himself up to his full height, the leather clad man certainly looked menacing enough with his maw of shark-like teeth partially open and burning stare; the blood red bandanna emblazoned with a white skull across his forehead only adding to the image. Although considering their last experience with the biker from Barlow, neither commando nor their robot friend was quite sure what to expect; though Clank being picked up by the antennae on his helm and meticulously inspected with care certainly wasn't on the short list.
"Nice finish on that chrome..." The biker's tone was appreciative as he gently manipulated the somewhat annoyed little robot so that he could better take in the details up close, before turning his questioning gaze towards Ratchet. "You, uh, buff this out yourself?"
"I tend to handle my own buffing, sir," Clank responded evenly with arms folded and a frown adorning his face. "Now, would you be so kind as to put me down?"
Startled and with yellow eyes widening in surprise, the leather clad man quickly set him down with an apologetic look. "Oh, sorry little man; I thought you was a crankshaft." Standing back up as Clank tottered over to his companions side, the biker reached inside his open jacket for a moment before producing a pair of effeminate glasses in a rather fetching shade of pink. "Heh, can't see my own hand in front of my face without these."
Having placed the vibrantly coloured spectacles on the bridge of his nose, Ratchet was far too busy trying to stifle his snickering at the frankly ridiculous sight in order to reply; leaving a distinctly amused Ellen to do so on behalf of their little team. "Don't worry about it, no harm done. Now we're all on the same page though, how would I go about entering the big race?"
"You got one of our helmets?" the broad-shouldered biker enquired with a tilt of his head; Clank retrieving said head gear Ellen had won back on Barlow from his sub-space storage and passing it over to the redheaded human who held it aloft for inspection. "Great, then you're in; easy-peasy. I heard the prize this time is some kind of special boots; I could use those myself." The biker trailed off in thought for a moment, eyes distant and one hand cupping his chin as he continued in a much quieter, more contemplative tone. "They'd go real nice with my leather chaps..."
"Oh...kay..." Ratchet drew out slowly before shaking his head to clear it. "Well, thanks then. Guess we'll see you at the race." Getting an answering nod from the man as he turned his attention back to his ride, the golden-furred commando gestured for his partner to follow and led them a short distance away; with Clank ambling behind curiously in their wake. "So, whadya think, babe? Wanna give it a shot?"
Ellen couldn't help but smile fondly as she turned the flame-decorated helmet over in her hands, absently running a finger across the stubby spikes running across the top as she replied. "I wouldn't mind getting back in the saddle, and those 'special boots' sound like a gadget of some kind, which might come in handy." Her brow creased into a frown however as she looked out across the rest of the garage, taking in the other competitors performing last minute maintenance and tune ups before being called out to the starting grid. "But where would I get hold of a bike at this hour? The race will be starting any minute."
Perhaps that man might assist us," Clank answered thoughtfully; a single metal digit pointed towards a small kiosk set up over to one side of the garage, behind which stood a short-statured member of the same species as the surviving Megacorp employees they had encountered back on Oozla.
Unlike those lab coat wearing technicians however, the man in question was attired in a red one-piece jumpsuit with white stripes running down the arms and legs; the similarly coloured baseball cap on his head sporting a stylised TMR in bold lettering that was also repeated on the left side of his chest. He seemed to be a salesman of sorts judging by the small pile of stock behind him next to some parked bikes and his mannerisms towards the heavily set novalian biker currently leaning on the counter with a thunderous scowl etched on his face; finger jabbing towards him threateningly as they argued.
Ellen shrugged nonchalantly. "Couldn't hurt. Let's go say hi."
So saying, the three began to make their way over while weaving between any foot traffic moving back and forth within the busy garage space; the heated conversation becoming increasingly clearer the closer they got until the biker's growling tone was audible above the surrounding din. "And I'm telling you, I ain't paying squat for no repairs. I'm still under insurance for cryin' out loud!"
"Which, for the third time, doesn't cover being riddled with an autocannon and having a missile shoved up the exhaust," came the equally strained reply; the salesman clearly not giving an inch as he glared back at his disgruntled customer. "Honestly, didn't you read the sub-contract before signing? Paragraph seven, section four, clearly states that any rentals taken onto the assault course are done so at the rider's own risk and illegible for coverage under the basic insurance agreement." He tapped the datapad in his hand for emphasis. "See?"
"Hey, what's goin' on here?"
The jumpsuit-clad man threw his hands up in exasperation at the lombax's question, venting a sigh as he turned to face the newcomers. "Great, as if I didn't already have enough to deal with. Let me guess; you want to make a claim on your rental too, huh?"
"Actually, we were hoping to hire out a bike for the upcoming race, and you seemed like the one to talk to, "Ellen clarified with a curious tilt of her head. "But what's this about insurance?"
The short-statured salesman seemed to brighten up at her words, a winning smile plastered on his face as he ignored the still disgruntled Desert Rider member storming off with a scowl etched on his face in favour of a new potential customer. "Well in that case, welcome to the Team Megacorp Racing sales, hire, and exchange outlet; providing affordable, professional level racing bikes for over forty years! I'm Phil Goodspeed, the local franchise operator."
"And the insurance thing?" Ratchet prompted.
"Ah, that's just a way for the company to cover costs," Phil responded with a dismissive wave of his hand. "You wouldn't believe how many folks abuse the hell out of our rentals and expect to get their deposit back. Heck, that last guy's bike was in at least a dozen pieces! Anyway, what can I do for you for?"
After bantering back and forth for a few minutes and learning a little more about how the process worked, Ratchet fronted the money for hiring a bike while Ellen inspected the few left remaining that weren't already damaged or fit for the scrapheap. In the end she chose an identical model to the one she had borrowed back on Barlow due to its familiarity and signed off on the basic insurance agreement before firing up the engine and giving it a few experimental revs. With the big race due to start in the next few minutes and the competitors already making their way out to the starting grid, the redhead temporarily stored her commando helmet in her Quick Select before securing the biker variant in place; making sure it fit snugly in place before turning to her two companions. "Well, wish me luck boys. Guess I'll see you at the finish line, unless you plan on scouting ahead."
Clank nodded cordially. "Good luck Ellen. If your prior performance is anything to go by however, then I am confident in your chances of victory here."
"Couldn't have put it better myself," Ratchet quipped with an easy going smile. "And yeah, babe. If you don't mind, I figure we'll take a look around until you're done."
The human gave them a confident grin and brief hug each in return before sitting back up in the saddle. "You two go on ahead, just make sure you don't go anywhere near that arena until we're all together again. I'll be back before you know it."
Lowering her opaque goggles and setting off at a slow pace, Ellen waved briefly over her shoulder as she followed the other bikers and soon disappeared out of view through an open shuttered door leading out on to the track; leaving the lombax and little robot to exchange a brief glance before the former offered a brief shrug. "She'll be fine. C'mon pal, let's get going."
Being a late entry, the redheaded commando was unsurprisingly directed towards the back of the grid inside what appeared to be a massive, rectangular tunnel with a high ceiling that could easily take four lanes of traffic with room to spare had it not been for the conical pillars seemingly spread out along its length at random. It certainly meant there would be plenty of room to manoeuvre once the race got underway, and if Ellen could get a decent enough start off the line on the long, primarily oval circuit and perhaps exploit a few of the shortcuts then maybe she could gain a comfortable lead and pace herself for the duration. The chances of that were fairly slim though, considering the course was likely to be littered with surprises if previous experience was anything to go on, and so she intended to play it by ear instead and wait for an opportunity to floor it.
Looking around at the competition, Ellen garnered a few odd looks at being the odd one out considering her gender and attire, but also a few nods and waves of recognition from faces that looked vaguely familiar from fleeting glimpses back before her previous race on Barlow. One such face was the thick set and overly sensitive biker whose ride she had borrowed after helping to fix it; eyes lighting up in recognition and shyly waggling a few of the fingers on a shovel-like hand her way from where he sat ready one row ahead. Returning the gesture with an amicable smile, there was just enough time to acknowledge the short-sighted man in the flame motif leather jacket from earlier before the starting lights hanging from an overhead gantry flickered on to red; a voice booming forth from concealed speakers within the tunnel section.
"Alright race fans, let's get this show on the road! For those of you who haven't already; gentlemen - and lady - start your engines!"
The sound of almost two dozen jet-propelled hoverbikes flaring into life and revving reverberated within the relatively enclosed space; all eyes glued onto one particular spot as the sequence of lights flashed through amber before winking out for a heartbeat. Time seemed to stand still, adrenaline spiking in anticipation as everyone gripped their ride's handlebars with whitened knuckles and fingers poised to release magnetic brakes; until finally, the long awaited signal came in the form of a solid green glow across the overhead gantry, and a wall of rolling steel surged forth at breakneck speed along the long stretch of tunnel leading into the first corner.
"And the first annual Megacorp amateur racing league is on, folks! Let's see what they've got!"
Unlike last time, Ellen had gotten a flying start off the line and was already three places up before the front runners had cleared the last sets of conical pillars dotting the few hundred yards beyond the starting line ; daring not to blink as she used short, sharp movements to weave between them and tuck in behind the biker in front. The pack was still fairly clustered together as they exited the first bend leading to two distinct and much narrower tunnel exits on either side of the non-existent reservation, everybody jinking left since the right most route was currently blocked off with a heavy sliding shutter and being forced to bunch up once more.
The much smaller tunnel was clearly only designed for two lanes of traffic and left little opportunity to pass without slamming into another rider, but that didn't stop a majority of the racers from trying anyway; one slamming into the far wall at too fast a clip and bouncing back into traffic with nigh disastrous results. Following closely behind the bike in front, Ellen had just crested the gently rising and banking right hand curve when she almost ran straight into the three bike pile up ahead on the quickly reversing downhill section; rapidly stabbing the brakes and jinking to one side with inches to spare as she twisted the throttle once more and emerged back out into daylight once more.
The tunnel had abruptly ended at what looked like a thick and expansive marshland surrounded by tall thickets of trees and crumbling pillars of rock, with multiple small islets sporting lush greenery scattered throughout and deep, murky waters that revealed nought of what may lay below. It also proved to be a lot harder to traverse than might be expected for a hoverbike that didn't even touch the surface, though that was in small part due to both a lack of friction for the engines to repulse against and the amount of gunk beginning to accumulate on the intake fans by the second. It definitely made things a lot harder going, and soon the pack was strung out in sliding across the surface while trying to reorient themselves in the right direction.
Thankfully however there was a sunken magna-strip around halfway across the marshes with prominent holographic markers showing its location; those who were able to tag it soon finding themselves rocketing from their struggling rivals and passing below a natural arch formed of rock back on to relatively dry land. Though still lagging behind somewhat, Ellen managed to jostle past another biker with controlled bursts of throttle and clipped the magna-strip's edge; rapidly accelerating away in pursuit through the archway and on to a sharply rising, narrow gulley formed from steep banks and fallen trees that left little head room at all.
Ducking down to lower wind resistance and with the additional boost propelling her faster still, the human quickly shot past a slower racer on the climb before returning to the middle of the debris strewn path just as it abruptly ended; heart lodged in her throat as sheer speed and momentum launched the bike at an oblique angle across the enclosed gorge below. Gravity soon reasserted itself, dragging rider and machine down towards the extremely shallow looking water below; but thankfully not before barely landing within an open, winding cave of sorts on the far side with thick tree roots protruding from the ceiling in a twisting fashion that left little room to manoeuvre. The biker she had previously overtaken seemed to think otherwise however and mad his presence known with a 'friendly' nudge from behind; Ellen almost crashing in a no doubt fatal manner had she not corrected at the last second.
The redhead's eyes narrowed as he took advantage of her close shave to pull alongside, a shark-like grin evident while shunting the two machines together in an attempt to finish the job. As he veered back a few inches to try again however, Ellen slammed on the anchors and skimmed past on the far side; the surprised biker unable to correct in time before slamming straight into a tree root with a startled cry and the screeching sound of twisted metal. The volatile jet turbine engine promptly exploded a heartbeat later, and the human had no intention of sticking around to see the results; gunning the throttle once more and finding herself falling to the forest floor below once the cave suddenly ended in temporarily blinding daylight.
The bike jolted on impact with the unforgiving ground as it bottomed out from the sudden fall, followed once again seconds later with a second jump; Ellen having little time to recover before finding herself on a much wider stretch bordering a river that gently curved to the right. There was also a track-wide magna-strip that quickly had her bike redlining once more, the cliff wall and carpeted forest of trees on the opposite side of the track merely a blur as she raced through one naturally occurring rock archway after another in pursuit of the riders she could just about see up ahead. Being behind however turned out to be a blessing in disguise considering what happened next; a large, hovering spherical drone with a trio of elongated tubes protruding from its upper body launching an identical number of black-painted mines covered in contact sensitive spikes that rapidly expanded in size, directly into the three biker's path.
Though the first two managed to brake sharply and evade by the skin of their teeth, the third wasn't so lucky; only able to throw his hands in front of his face in a futile gesture before ramming one of the mines head on. Thankfully or not, there wasn't exactly much left once the resounding explosion had petered out; Ellen grimacing in distaste as she powered through the resulting cloud of raining debris and resolving to keep a sharp eye out for any other such lethal surprises Megacorp had tucked away on the course. She caught up to the two surviving bikers just as the track narrowed down once more, leaving behind the moss covered forest floor for the cool confines of a narrow and extremely winding cave system that wound through the bowels of a short mountainside.
Thankfully the dull grey interior was lit by a series of strobing blue beacons along one side that showed the racing line, although headlights were still essential considering just how dark and twisting the perilous route actually was. The cave system contracted as rapidly as it expanded once again, several rock shelves lining one particularly narrow section mid-way down that provided a brief overtaking spot before funnelling back into a wider, uphill section that allowed more than two bikes abreast before hitting a clearly artificial, metal panel-lined tunnel that soon filtered back into the enclosed main stretch once more.
{()}
With the race just having started and Clank retaking his regular spot upon his back, Ratchet exited the garage space through the way they had originally entered; retracing his steps back across the short bridges and plateaus until he was stood in front of the hanger-like structure that had been bypassed earlier. Stepping inside, the lombax soon found himself staring down an extensive corridor with a high ceiling and translucent-panelled blast door at the far end, behind which waited a small contingent of sword-wielding tribesmen arrayed in a skirmish line before what had to be the local equivalent of the Barlowian saur-beast; its rider already saddled up and readying his long-barrelled beam rifle in anticipation. More pressingly however was the fact that there was a deep pit where a floor should be between the golden-furred commando and the far side, with no obvious way to cross and nary a hand hold in sight.
In fact, the only point of potential interest on the otherwise featureless walls was a solitary Dynamo activator that Clank had pointed out; Ratchet duly zapping it only to pause in surprise for a brief moment as a torrent of machinery swung into action. Alternating panels rapidly slid out of the walls from either side of the corridor with a hiss of released pressure to form a solid bridge across the sunken pit; the shutter on the far end releasing almost simultaneously and allowing the waiting tribesmen to charge forth, even as lombax-sized pneumatic rams spaced at regular intervals began to slam together across the floor's length. The entire passageway was a veritable deathtrap just waiting to happen, and yet if Ratchet wanted to progress any further then he had no choice but to take the plunge.
Just as well he liked a challenge then.
With a burst of speed that would put an Olympic athlete to shame, the lombax blew past the first set of rams as they drew back before front-flipping over the next pair crashing together with inches to spare. Punching his rocket launcher towards the closest approaching foe while still in mid-air and squeezing the trigger, Ratchet tucked into a roll upon landing and sprung up with his wrench swinging towards the next scavenger in line even before the first's broken body had hit the ground; flowing around a bisecting sword strike and taking out his tendons followed by a hard blow to the back of the skull. A stabbing magenta beam briefly lit up the corridor, the golden-furred commando jinking to one side and allowing one of the other tribesmen to take the brunt as he rolled away from a follow up shot; the mounted sniper adjusting aim and preparing to fire again only to be thrown from his saddle by a sudden explosion erupting upon the saur-beast's armoured head dress.
Ratchet wasted no time in getting up close and personal before the dazed tribesman could regain his senses; leaping over the last set of pneumatic rams with an overhead wrench strike that made sure he wasn't going to be getting back up anytime soon, before hurriedly backflipping away from an angry saur-beast and trying to gain some distance. The only other sword-wielding scavenger remaining was a little slow on the uptake and subsequently trampled underfoot as the bipedal reptilian creature surged forth in its single-minded determination; homing in on the lombax and only failing to get close by virtue of the pneumatic rams impeding its progress.
It was something that Ratchet took full advantage of considering the lack of room to manoeuvre, and the very real danger of being crushed by either animal or artificial means; reversing direction once more and using one of the pistoning rams as a springboard to vault over the still enraged saur-beast as it bull-rushed him. In a case of impeccable timing, the golden-furred commando tumbled into a roll upon landing and sprang back up on the far side of where the blast door had been just as it slammed down once more; the Dynamo activator having run out of juice and the hulking reptile subsequently falling into the resulting pit with a screech of surprise as the floor panels receded back into the wall. Idly rushing the dust off of one shoulder, Ratchet couldn't help but grin as he located a nearby ladder off to one side and began to climb.
"Oh yeah... I still got it..."
Clank wisely decided against voicing his own opinion on the lombax's penchant for excessive risk taking considering how ineffective it had proven thus far, instead concentrating on the unusual energy spike his sensors had detected close by. "Be careful Ratchet, I am picking up the signature of a possible heavy weapon emplacement directly ahead."
"Thanks pal, I will."
There was a bit of a lip at the top of the ladder just before the archway leading back outside; Ratchet hunkering down next to it and peeking over rather than simply charging in like he would done otherwise, much to the little robot's relief. A trio of tribesmen appeared to be arguing in the middle of a clearing with a dead drop off a cliff to the right and some small copse of trees obscuring the left; beyond which lay a open-topped, twin-barrelled and currently occupied gun turret guarding a sealed security shutter embedded into the far rock wall. Not having a clear line of sight on the biggest threat and having no idea if there were any more enemies hidden nearby, the lombax simply decided to roll with it and do what he did best; equipping his grenade launcher and dropping a Mini-Nuke between the clustered scavengers before vaulting his cover and dashing into the fray.
Though initially surprised at the sudden assault and loss of his comrades, the tribesman manning the turret soon had it pointed towards the intruder and sending out a steady stream of exploding energy bolts that chased after the sprinting lombax. Somersaulting in mid-air over the lethal rain of fire, Ratchet loosed a pair of rockets from his Minirocket Tube that soon silenced the gunner before turning his attention towards the pair of sword-wielding scavengers breaking from the copses of trees behind him and making a beeline for the turret. Another explosive warhead sent one flying before impacting against the rock wall surrounding the security shutter with a wet crunch, but the other had already crossed the distance and was bringing the heavy weapon platform to bear on the golden-furred feline; getting no more than a few shots off before a thrown wrench cracked the tribesman's helmet faceplate and jerked his aim off target.
Ratchet wasn't far behind and promptly caught his flung wrench before unleashing a flurry of strikes that made sure the gunner wouldn't be getting back up anytime soon; venting a short sigh of relief followed by letting his eyes roam over the still sealed security shutter with a thoughtful frown. Though Megacorp had designed and built the surrounding infrastructure, it was clear that the Jobian tribesmen were set on staking their claim to the place and were just as hostile to outsiders as their Barlow based cousins; albeit better armed, armoured, and somewhat disciplined. It was for that reason and a small dose of Ellen's inherent paranoia rubbing off that the lombax decided against activating the pressure pad to open the security shutter and instead powered up the gun turret; swinging the twin barrels around to face the sealed entrance and firing a single shot at the ground-based switch.
The shutter snapped open with startling speed, revealing a pair of sword-wielding tribesmen with a lumbering, riderless saur-beast just behind; all three of which immediately charged forth to greet whomever sprung their ambush only to find themselves in the line of fire. The heavy weapon platform unsurprisingly made short work of his potential assailants, and Ratchet was soon giving a wide berth of what was left of a hulking reptilian carcass before sweeping through the relatively small maintenance room's interior and clambering up a ladder to the next area above. A fairly long cliffside path stretched ahead, with a stunning vista of the surrounding unspoilt, forested islands off to the right and a tall, reinforced wall topped with sheet metal plating bordering the left side; leading towards a pair of squat towers that acted as a chokepoint for the mounted turret in the clearing beyond.
There wasn't exactly much cover on the exposed approach, and Ratchet found himself wishing not for the first time that Ellen was here beside him to lend ranged support fire considering how many tribesmen he could see wandering aimlessly through the gap ahead. Still, nobody seemed to have spotted him yet and the gun turret was currently unoccupied, so there was still a good chance to get a little closer before cutting loose. To that end, the lombax kept to the overhanging left wall as he moved forward at a steady pace; keeping an eye on the patrolling scavengers and tensing momentarily as a flock of birds noisily took flight from the path in front scant yards away. Thankfully no one seemed any wiser, and he soon found himself pushed up against the left most round-based squat tower with his HK22 Gun in hand; body tensing in preparation for but a heartbeat before charging forth with the launcher raised and finger squeezing the trigger.
{()}
Another track-wide magna-strip gave the redheaded commando a much needed boost in acceleration and finally allowed her to slingshot past the pair of bikers she had been tailing so closely; the central reservation's guardrail giving away just as she reached the seemingly random spread of conical pillars once more and blasted into lap two. Firing off one of the three installed nitrous tanks once she was clear allowed her to catch up to the solitary racer in front, but didn't prove quick enough to take the same exit tunnel before its shutter promptly closed less than twenty yards ahead; forcing Ellen to veer off and take the alternate route at the last second. Thankfully it was simply a mirror image of the one she had taken on the first lap, right down to the same rising and dipping gentle S-curve, and as an added bonus ended at just the right angle to send the human directly across the marshlands beyond as the boost ran out.
Ellen left another rider quite literally stuck in the mud as she shot past with the speedometer dropping still dropping from its nitrous high; a status restored upon riding along the length of the centrally placed magna-strip that soon saw her on the far side and ascending out of the marsh once more. Unfortunately there were a pair of racers trading paint on the rising, tree-lined gulley that left no room to pass without potentially being hit herself; leaving the redhead no choice but to back off before punching the accelerator once again in the hopes that she would have sufficient velocity to clear the enclosed gorge beyond.
It wasn't to be however, and Ellen felt her stomach clench in brief terror as she missed the ledge she was aiming to land upon and instead plummeted into the gorge below; angling the bike so that the rear would hit first and hoping for the best. Thankfully there was a second tree root-lined cave running beneath the one she had ridden through earlier, and though the human bottomed out with bone juddering force, the bike's anti-gravity drive absorbed the worst of it and prevented her from being plastered all over the gorge. She still held the handlebars in vice-like grip however from such a close call, and squeezed the saddle between her legs tightly as the bike roared through the short cave in short order and back out into daylight once more; emerging in a heavily forested section that she recognised from the Megacorp Games commercial Ratchet had shown her on the way to Joba.
A short drop over a ridge after that found Ellen back on the riverside section with the mine launcher just as the two duelling bikers from before passed overhead; slipstreaming the pair before they could sufficiently recover and skimming past on the inside with the magna-strip assisted boost still running. Prepared as she was this time, the human passed between the deployed explosives without letting off the throttle for a second; tackling the darkened, twisting cave system beyond at high speed and cutting the corners tight enough to take off a fair amount of paint in the process. Emerging back into the long stretch of expansive, multi-lane tunnel for the third time, Ellen let the track-wide magna-strip push her bike to the redline once again and tried to minimise drag to the best of her ability as she prepared to enter the final lap of this lightning-paced sprint race.
Though she didn't have Ratchet or Clank to give her updates on her position, the redhead was pretty sure she had to be within the top five by now considering how many other racers she had passed along the way. Hopefully she could pull out a win this time as well considering the potentially useful prize at stake, and hopefully her boys wouldn't get themselves into too much trouble while she was away. Or at least nothing they couldn't handle anyway.
{()}
The first spread of target-seeking missiles was quickly followed by a second, coming as a shock to the dozen or so previously bored-looking tribesmen as several of their number were suddenly engulfed in small scale explosions; the solitary saur-beast and rider suffering multiple hits that immediately took both out of the fight permanently. It didn't take long for them to recover however, and Ratchet soon found himself under heavy fire from the turret placed dead centre in the clearing as it moved to track him, while the surviving scavengers brandished their swords and closed in like a rolling tide of steel. Circling around the heavy weapon in a clockwise direction, the lombax kept the cluster of pursuers between him and the gun as he slipped past their blades; using them as a living shield while he switched out to his Minirocket Tube once again.
Unfortunately the gunner didn't seem particularly worried about hitting his friends however and managed to ventilate two of them before the lombax could aim and pull the trigger; the launcher's auto-targeting feature ensuring that the rocket would arc over his pursuers and hit the fratricidal tribesman centre mass. After that things got a lot easier as Ratchet turned the tables on the remaining scavengers; unexpectedly reversing direction and charging straight at the pair with his Lava Gun spewing a trial of liquid flame as he launched into a spinning frontflip between them. One dodged to the side and tried to make a break for the unattended gun turret, while the other ripped off his melting chest plate and tried to keep the lombax busy; the furry commando instinctively pirouetting around an enraged diagonal slash and dropping the first tribesman with his rocket launcher before scything the second's legs out with a hamstringing wrench strike.
Once the last scavenger had finally fallen, Clank assisted in sweeping the immediate area for any further hostiles before Ratchet took over the now unoccupied heavy weapon platform and swung it around to face the pair of closed shutter doors on the opposite side of the clearing. Not even bothering with the linked pressure switch on the ground between them, the golden-furred commando instead chose to simply hold down the trigger and pound the doors into scrap metal along with any waiting enemies behind them. The one on the left was fairly wide with an arching frame that was set into the bottom of a larger tower still linked to the tall wall he had previously been following; a pair of armour-clad saur-beasts instinctively charging straight through the constant torrent of fire towards the twin-linked guns only to collapse in a bloody mess shortly thereafter.
The right-most shutter was more of a gateway really between two thick copses of trees whose trunks had long since fused together, and lasted just as long under the constant pounding of exploding energy bolts. A small number of tribesmen poured through the breach, including a few packing those short-barrelled laser rifles they seemed to favour, but barely registered as a threat really considering the sheer amount of firepower the lombax was pouring downrange before unsurprisingly being wiped out wholesale. Dismounting the still cooling gun, Ratchet jogged around what was left of the attacking scavengers and through the unsealed gateway with his light machine gun raised and ready for any stragglers; pausing once it was obviously clear to gaze up at the vast network of pipes, conduits, and protruding ledges decorating the side of the tall building immediately to his left with a thoughtful look.
There was nowhere else to go really, especially since the path ahead ended abruptly at a small, cliffside plateau with a very long drop to the ocean below. This was the true boundary of the Megacorp complex built to service the company's mountain top gladiator arena and the only way was up; Clank pointing out a solitary Dynamo activator almost hidden by choking undergrowth that gave Ratchet an inkling as to the way forward as he zapped it with the appropriate gadget. An ethereal green platform slowly began to make its way along a set track that consistently doubled back over itself in snaking pattern up the side of the structure, the golden-furred feline quickly hopping aboard only to find it wouldn't be the smoothest of rides.
Almost immediately, a thick metal platform twice the lombax's height pistoned out of the wall to block his path; forcing him to leap up and vault over the other side to prevent being knocked off. A second followed suit at head height mere seconds after he touched back down on the translucent platform, forcing him to duck with his helmet barely scraping the underside while idly wondering if this was some kind of messed up security system or what. In either case, it was a pattern that would continue for the next minute or so as the glowing green platform slowly ascended in its zigzagging pattern; Ratchet pulling out all the stops in order to scramble through this messed up obstacle course in short order before he could be sent plummeting who knows how many hundreds of feet.
After a last desperate race culminating in a sprint across the top of several quickly deploying and retracting platforms however it was finally over, and Ratchet breathed a short sigh of relief as he stepped off of his soon to disappear translucent green ride and on to an open, T-shaped balcony area minus any railings several floors up. Using one of the protruding walls on either side of the tall central archway as cover, the lombax barely suppressed a groan as he chanced a glance and saw what was through the open portal; taking note of the pair of gun turrets occupying a raised walkway on the far side and wondering not for the first time where the hell these tribesmen were getting such heavy equipment.
Thankfully only one was mounted at present, while the second presumed gunner leaned nonchalantly against the heavy weapon as they bantered, but that didn't mean much considering how many other scavengers were both in sight on the ground floor and likely hidden elsewhere. Either way, it would be one hell of a fight once he decided to go loud; though Ratchet couldn't help but wish he had Ellen by his side to help even the odds.
'The race should've been over by now. Wonder what's taking her so long...?'
{()}
A distant droning of engines interrupted the relative quiet along the forest trail, gradually building into a crescendo that shattered the peace entirely as a trio of hoverbikes suddenly dropped down from a higher ridge and tore through at breakneck speed. Ellen had pushed hard for the duration of the last lap and it had all come down to this; the top two ranked racers so close in front of her that she could feel the heat from their exhaust nacelles washing over her face. Another short jump saw them back along the curving riverside section of the course once more, all three focused upon maintaining the best possible racing line so as not to bleed off anymore speed than necessary even with the additional boost granted by the track-wide magna-strip running across its length.
There was no room for error here, especially considering the threat of oversized mines dropping down from above as the race leader soon found out; a brief shunt from behind being enough for his bike to clip one of the contact sensitive spikes set it off. The formerly second placed biker showed no signs of slowing down as he blazed through the resulting explosion a few seconds later, Ellen sticking close behind with a narrow-minded focus that saw her gain ground in the slipstream and rest a thumb over the little red button just beside the throttle. The cave entrance leading towards the darkened, twisting cave system beyond was rapidly approaching up ahead, and in the human's eyes it was now or never if she still wanted to win this race.
So, just as the corner straightened out, Ellen decided to go for it; triggering her last nitrous tank and slingshotting past the other rider on his left. Not willing to be beaten, the leather-clad man punched his own nitrous and was soon inching back alongside; the pair barely scrapping inside the fairly cramped cave network together as they sough to edge one another out. Sparks flew and paint was traded in such narrow quarters, neither giving an inch as they blew through the rock-carved tunnels side by side at a frightening pace. One sudden nudge too many however had Ellen veering off onto a rising rock shelf that paralleled the strobe beacon-lit main route; veering off the end as it abruptly ended and landing almost on top of the other biker had he not instinctively tapped the brakes in response.
Though it cost her rival only a second or so in terms of his lap time, It proved to be the turning point in the race that Ellen needed and just in time too. With the caves of carved grey rock rapidly giving way to an artificial, steel-plated tunnel, they were fast approaching the finish line; the redhead having no intentions of giving up the lead she had just seized no matter how doggedly the other biker pursued her. It was going to be a close thing even before he attempted to ride in her slipstream and slingshot past, but with the split second difference exaggerated by the human being first to reach the final track-wide magna-strip between them and the finish line, the final result was never in any doubt. Even so, it was still a close run thing; with Ellen making taking the chequered flag by a matter of inches and only starting to ease off the pace once she was a good way into her victory lap.
With the race over, Ellen along with those that were still able to ride returned to the garage space that functioned as a pit lane and let their overtaxed engines cool down. Still riding the heady the heady adrenaline rush from the high speed ride and her subsequent win, the redheaded commando practically bounced over to where Phil Goodspeed was still manning his rentals desk and dropped off the keys before returning to the accolades of her fellow racers. Accepting the first place prize from a smiling Megacorp race official, the human couldn't help but think that her newly acquired Charge Boots looked like a more high-tech version of Sonic's trademark sneakers; albeit in a metallic red finish and with exhaust nacelles embedded in the soles. Having approached to give his congratulations, the near-sighted biker she had spoken to earlier certainly seemed to like them as well if his wistful sigh was anything to go by.
"Dang it. I wanted these boots myself, but they'll go real nice with your outfit."
"Sorry. And, um, thanks," the redhead responded with a slightly awkward smile. "I'll make sure they're put to good use."
"You could always race again you know," he continued in a hopeful tone. "Now the prize is a whole bunch of bolts."
Ellen gently shook her head as she set the inert Charge Boots on the floor in their unfolded state, stepping on to the thick insoles and letting the segmented, red-painted metal plating cover her own footwear. "Thanks, but I'll pass for now. Maybe another time?"
The leather-clad man gave her a genuine smile along with a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Looking forward to it. I gotta go get ready for the next race, so I guess I'll see you around. Oh, and before you go," he paused momentarily to rummage in his jacket before producing two scraps of crudely stitched leather that might charitably be called gloves from an inside pocket. "Here; I make these for all the guys, so I figured you ought to have them too since you're one of us."
Feeling a little touched by his gesture, Ellen accepted his offer and the accompanying 'manly hug' before exchanging their goodbyes and parting ways. Making her way to the garage exit back where Ratchet, Clank, and herself had originally entered; the redhead retraced their original route back until she was stood in front of the hanger-like structure they had previously ignored in favour of checking out the hoverbike races. She probably could have gotten there a lot quicker if she made use of her Charge Boots' built in thrusters, but didn't want to risk it until there was sufficient space to test them out first without risk of flying off a cliff. That, and it wouldn't have helped her get through the structure's interior where the lombax and robot had presumably gone due to there being a translucent glass shutter blocking the far side; with no discernable means across the gaping pit in-between other than an inert Dynamo activator.
Ellen was just about to call her absent companions and find out where they were when her Wrist Com's default ringtone indicated an incoming call from said duo; immediately answering it and getting an audio only feed from Ratchet. "Ellen, babe, you there?"
"I wouldn't be answering otherwise," she returned with more than a hint of mirth; though that quickly turned to resigned suspicion at the sound of bird-like screeching and repetitive gunfire in the background. "Who did you piss off this time?"
"What, I can't just check up on my girl and see how you're doing?" came the all too innocent reply, one punctuated by a loud explosion followed swiftly by another.
"Ratchet has gained the ire of a number of local tribesmen and we are currently pinned down," Clank cut in; getting right to the point. "Any assistance you are able to provide would be greatly appreciated."
"I'm on my way, just hold on a little longer." Ellen was already running before the words had even left her lips, crossing over the narrow bridge past the Megacorp vendor and back towards where their ships were parked. "Keep on the line and ping me your location, I'll be there as soon as I'm airborne."
So… I know I'd previously considered just skipping past the hoverbike race altogether considering how much trouble it was to write last time round, but it just seemed to click much better this time and felt like a shame not to include it after taking up so much time. Incidentally, the is chapter was actually supposed to be shorter, with the hover bike race concluding in the following update. But after starting the next chapter early and realising it was going to end up a lot longer than anticipated, I decided to take the beginning of chapter 23 and use it to extend this chapter instead. On the plus side, that does mean I can concentrate for the most part upon the arena itself for the next update, and hopefully it will live up to expectations considering how action packed the Maktar Resort battle ended up being.
Until next time, please review and check out my other stories once they're posted and/or updated.
Thanks for reading
- RevenantReaper337