Author's note:

We're fast approaching the end of Act 2 now, and finally catching up to where I'd hoped to be around Christmas last year, were it not for my extended break from this story. It's taken a fair bit of thought and carefully blocking things out to make sure events flow the way I wanted them to for this arc, but hopefully you'll agree that the end result has been worth it. Especially given what I've got in store for our heroes on Snivelak, both for this chapter and the next… Enjoy!

I'm always trying to improve as a writer, so please read and review. Constructive criticism is welcome, flamers are not. If you enjoy this story, please feel free to check out the other stories on my account should you wish.

- RevenantReaper337

Disclaimer:

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

'Thoughts'

Flashbacks

"Speech"

Chapter 37:

Gatecrasher

Thugs-4-Less Headquarters, Snivelak

Bogon Galaxy

G2.17.085 Galactic calendar

6:03pm local time

Harsh, unforgiving, and isolated far from the distant reaches of civilisation, Snivelak was a world where only the hardiest could survive. Constant tectonic activity giving birth to literal oceans of perpetually flowing lava under a bleak and coppery red sky, while the few solid land masses that did exist were often overpopulated by what little natural life eked out an existence in such harsh climes. The actual number of which could easily be counted on one hand, and none thrived more so than the fiercely aggressive, sentient bipedal species who called themselves 'Lakians'. Better known to the galaxy at large as the predominantly reptilian members of Thugs-4-Less.

It was small wonder then that Logan had chosen his home planet as the site of the private contractor's primary base of operations, or its population as his main source of recruits. Each and every one of them a seasoned fighter in their own right, thanks to a lifetime spent growing up in such a lethally hostile environment, and eager to sign up for a chance at proving their prowess across the galaxy at large. Nor was it much of a surprise that Thugs-4-Less had become Snivelak's top employer as a result within but a few months of its conception, or that such a critical lynchpin in Logan's entire operation had gradually been turned into a sprawling fortress complex that rivalled a small city.

Thick sloping walls, a good fifty feet tall in places and festooned with multiple heavy turrets, surrounded the main island and the truly massive citadel tower at its centre. An equally impressive, wide-laned bridge linking the front entrance to a much smaller but just as heavily fortified island facility near by, which also seemed to double as a VTOL base of sorts if the sheer amount of aircraft coming and going from its vicinity was anything to go by. While numerous islets scattered around the lava lake archipelago played host to automated early warning stations, orbital defence batteries of various kinds, and dozens of geothermal energy conversion plants that likely generated enough power to easily supply the entire region twice over.

It was in fact on one of these latter islets that Ratchet had quietly landed some fifteen minutes prior in order to scope out the terrain from a safe distance. Clank having cobbled together a passable IFF code from his attempts at data mining the numerous ships they had engaged in the skies over Gorn, allowing them to slip past the outer most orbital defences and get planetside without raising suspicion. Any further progress would have to be made on foot however, and from what Ratchet could tell through distant observation, this place was going to be one seriously tough nut to crack on their own.

"Well, looks like ringing the front doorbell's out," he murmured while lowering his borrowed digital binoculars with a frown, "and flying inside that place'll just get us shot to pieces before we can even land. Guess we're gonna go with your plan after all, huh Cash?"

"Not exactly my favourite option, and plenty risky," he replied through their shared radio link. "But its the best we can do on short notice if we're gonna get the doc out of there alive. Assumin' she's still here, that is."

"Yeah... I know. Ellen?"

"Can't say I'm enthused myself, but he's right, fuzz ball," Ellen chimed in with a vented sigh. "Going by what Samus and I can see from up here, pretty much all of the exterior defences are geared towards dealing with large scale threats from above, not a handful of people storming the place on foot. I'm more worried about whatever reaction force they'll throw at us once the shooting starts, especially since we have no idea what kind of hardware they might be packing."

"Guess we're gonna be finding out the hard way, then..." Ratchet murmured aloud, before giving his long time companion a typically feline grin. "Ready to get going, pal?"

Hopping down from where he was standing on their Star Explorer's wing, Clank gave a nod as he proceeded to walk over towards the waiting lombax. "Indeed. We must rescue Angela at once; the future of the galaxy may well depend upon it."

'And I still need answers about what happened to my people... Maybe even my parents, and why they left me on Veldin way back...'

Shaking his head to clear that particular line of thought, Ratchet made sure that Clank was safely secured on his back once more before taking off across the mostly barren ground at a dead run; the ship laying hidden from any passing air patrols within a copse of twisted, sinuous trees and harsh scrub. From there it was simply a case of skirting around the local automated geothermal plant that occupied most of the islet's northern half, before halting at the cliff edge just beyond and gazing out at his intended route ahead.

The plan, such as it was, involved all five of them working together in concert to form a three-pronged assault upon the fortress. Having previously been dropped off by Cash shortly after Ratchet began his descent through the atmosphere, Ellen and Samus had set themselves up on the tallest structure they could find near the main gatehouse overlooking the bridge. The redhead's 'borrowed' Hologuise knock off providing at least some form of camouflage for them both as she kept her Vaporizer's scope pointed down range, while Samus acted as a spotter on her behalf and called out targets as she saw them. The pair providing vital information on merc force movements, and when needed, pinpoint long-range support fire.

Cash on the other hand was to remain airborne in his flying brick of a ship and otherwise stay hidden behind the outermost island peaks until needed. At which point he would come soaring in at low level to help negate any active anti-air fire and concentrate on any heavy enemy units in sight with whatever ordinance he had left, before retreating at full throttle and setting up for the next run once any pursuers were thrown off. Probably not fighters, since they hadn't seen evidence of any, but there were plenty of light attack transport craft criss-crossing the skies at any given moment, and it would only take one to potentially bring him down with a lucky hit.

As for Ratchet, however... Well, he just so happened to have the fun job of literally taking the fight to the enemy's front door before kicking it in. Preferably with a ton of high explosive weaponry to hand and as much of the thugs' attention on him as possible, so as to draw a majority of their number out into an agreed upon killzone. The first step in which involved leaping off of the cliff edge and using a relay of conveniently placed versa-targets to make his way across the lava lake via swingshot, before landing on the outer gantry of an isolated guard tower that occupied the middle and taking a peek inside.

"Seems clear..." he murmured while eying the conspicuously empty interior through an open door frame. Any electronic equipment or furniture long gone, leaving nothing but blank walls, a few heat-warped wooden crates, and a lingering sense of wrongness in the air. "Guess nobody's home."

"Or they were expecting us and cleared out in advance, for whatever reason," Ellen's voice replied lowly in his ear. "I can't see any obvious signs of movement from up here, but that doesn't mean they aren't out there somewhere nearby."

"Might have rigged the place too, I know I would," Cash added immediately thereafter. "Probably best to watch your step around there, mate."

'Way to make me feel better,' Ratchet mentally groused, but took their advice to heart. Cautiously entering the guard tower's singular, cylindrical room and skirting around the edges in a slow half crouch towards the far side without incident, before heading out on to the small balcony there and making use of his Swingshot once more.

Swaying to and fro in a mirror image of his earlier actions, It didn't take long for the lombax to negotiate another set of oddly placed but useful versa-targets across the remaining lava lake, before lazily backflipping through the air on one last swing and landing on the far side with a typically graceful flourish. Ratchet finding himself on a small, open-sided platform that that likely served as a drop off point of sorts; sandwiched between the clearly sealed main gatehouse to his right with its shimmering blue force field and a much taller, partially ruined structure to the left which looked surprisingly old up close. The same one in fact where Ellen and Samus were camped out, way above and out of sight.

Perhaps Logan had built his sprawling centre of operations on top of an already existing ancient fortress rather than from scratch? It would certainly explain some of the architectural differences in design if nothing else, or why anybody would bother with having a bridge and outer gatehouse that led to virtually nowhere in the first place. The land beyond likely having crumbled and been reclaimed by the surround lava over time, leaving little more than ruins and an island complex largely closed off from the outside world bar for airborne access, and ludicrously easy to defend against a massed assault from above.

Not that it mattered now, of course, other than as a potential solution to getting inside the fortress without having to brave an insane amount of anti-air fire. But with the obvious route blocked off and no real way to circumvent the gatehouse on foot, or an obvious power source for its incredibly dense force field, Ratchet knew he'd have to find another way around in order to track down Angela. A solution of sorts beginning to form in his head upon eyeing the suspected VTOL base just ahead, or rather what was to the immediate left of the heavily repurposed ancient structure. Shining lights and an orbiting spiral of a conductor rail looping around the lower most portion of a tall and predominantly grey cylindrical tower.

"A satellite uplink array..." Clank mused with interest as he peaked over his friend's shoulder at the out of place construct. "But why build one outside of the fortress itself, as opposed to a much more defensible location?"

Ratchet simply shrugged in return while making his way towards the supposed array on the platform's opposite side. The Swingshot proving its versatility once again as he latched on to a bent section of railing and, with a strained grunt of effort, yanked it back down in to place with a resounding clang of metal on stone. "Beats me, but at least we've got a way forward now. Let's see if this thing leads anywhere interesting."

Any protest over upsetting the structural integrity and potentially bringing the whole thing down on top of them were abruptly cut off as Ratchet took a flying leap over the edge. His Grind Boots throwing up their customary trail of sparks as they made contact with the rail and quickly propelling them down its descending, circular length at a fast clip, with only the occasional hop needed to avoid a jutting support beam or antennae array panel that happened to stick out too far. Beyond that it was pretty much plain sailing, and with one last U-bend shaped section a few moments later, Ratchet soon found himself landing within a tiny maintenance area at the tower's base and a new appreciation of just how tall it was up close.

"Better hide, you two," Ellen's voice cut in suddenly. "I've got an air patrol coming in from the south, and it'll be on top of you any second now."

Sure enough, the lombax's sensitive ears immediately pricked up at the sound of approaching jet engines a heartbeat later, and he quickly sought cover behind an abandoned stack of crates next to the uplink tower. Flying lowly and slowly overhead, seeming almost close enough to touch, one of the unwieldy and bulky-looking assault ships he had previously observed patrolling Snivelak's skies above the fortress drifted into view from behind Ellen's ruined tower perch. The pilot almost looking like he was searching for something, which was fairly worrying considering how precariously exposed Ratchet and Clank's position was at that given moment. Were the thugs on to them already? And if so, then how?

"Hold still, he hasn't seen you yet," Ellen advised while keeping her rifle's scoped centred on the cockpit's occupant and a finger poised upon the trigger. She had no idea if her Vaporizer could actually punch through the likely reinforced, partitioned glass, but at least it would distract the pilot long enough for Ratchet to bring out the big guns and cash to come rolling in with guns blazing if need be. "Probably just a scheduled sweep. He'll get bored soon enough."

It was a piece of advice which he took to heart, and after several long, tense seconds, the assault ship throttled up and disappeared from view just as quickly as it came. Ratchet breathing a small sigh of relief as he stepped out from beneath the uplink tower's shadow and peered up at where it had gone, before turning his attention back towards the structure itself and a particular vertically inclined section of plated metal near the base which Clank assured him to be magnetic in nature. "Guess we're goin' up in the world, huh?"

One quick change of his footwear later and Ratchet was soon ascending the uplink tower at a light jog, his Gravity Boots easily providing traction against the steep surface and allowing him to reach around midway up before the path suddenly ended at a series of separate panel sections which hugged the structure's surface and were clearly out of reach. Or perhaps not, given that each one had a Dynamo activator attached; a brief burst of green energy causing the nearest slab of contoured metal to slowly rotate around the tower's circumference towards him and a variety of protruding antennae array panels with it. Thus providing a stepping stone towards the next in line with a deftly timed jump, although it was probably going to take a while to actually reach the top.

Meanwhile, from atop her sniper perch, Ellen was still keeping an eye out for any potential threats when Samus interrupted with an insistent tugging upon her jumpsuit's sleeve. The redhead shooting her a quizzical look before following an extended metallic digit towards the now confirmed VTOL base off to her left as recessed silo doors, hidden within the grounds towards the structure's rear, began to grind open. Revealing a pair of Thugs-4-Less attack helicopters rising into view on duel underground elevators with their rotors already spinning up, just as Ratchet had finally reached the uplink tower's peak and was making his way across towards the base via a very exposed cluster of power relay cables strung between the two by means of a skeletal framework.

"Watch out, fuzz ball! Two choppers, right below you!"

Ratchet had already caught wind of them however and quickly steadied himself with one hand while the other automatically went down to his Quick Select. Widening his stance a little further in order to better anchor the tenuous grip of his Gravity Boots on the ridiculously thin metal crossbeams and bringing the Mini-Nuke to bear just as the first helo lifted off directly towards him on whirling rotor blades. "Sorry guys, I'm in no mood for a haircut today. Heads up!"

The oversized grenade launcher thumped, and Ellen cursed internally at their planned infiltration going loud so soon. Gravity immediately taking its course and not granting the unfortunate pilot a single chance as his machine was engulfed in a miniaturised ball of nuclear fire, while globules of acid rained down and splashed over the second shortly before the redhead put two rounds through its cockpit. Leaving a burning mess of mangled metal to crash back down on to their respective launch pads and explode in a spectacular fashion that was guaranteed to light up the enemy's command centre like a Christmas tree.

"God damn it... We didn't even get past the outer gate before calling them down on our heads," Ellen growled as she watched Ratchet scale down the VTOL base's sheer vertical walls before swinging back across towards the main gatehouse. A flicker of distant movement catching her attention and drawing soon to be widening eyes back towards the bridgehead, where an armoured column was now rolling out the fortress' secondary entrance and storming across the bridge at breakneck speed. Right towards where Ratchet had landed behind the main gatehouse's still active barrier, and liable to roll over his position within a matter of seconds if they weren't immediately stopped cold.

"We've got company!" she relayed while switching over to her new and barely used Visibomb Gun. Its heavy payload, relatively slow speed, and necessity to manually guide the missile normally a disadvantage in a rapid combat scenario, but perfect raining down support fire in a situation like this. "I count three tanks coming across the bridge towards you and more on the way. Cash, how fast can you get here?"

"Gotta power me engines back up first and get past these bloody patrol ships they've got buzzin' by me hiding spot," the merc replied a moment later. "I'll do what I can, but its gonna be at least a few minutes at best. You'll just have to hold out 'til then."

"Great... Guess we're doing this by ourselves then," she muttered while angling the launcher up to face the sky, before casting a glance over towards a distinctly fretful looking Samus. "Don't worry, we've all been through a lot worse than this before, believe me. Just make sure to keep calling targets and watch our backs for anyone trying to sneak up on us. Last thing we need is one of those attack ships dropping in on us."

R-right! I can do that... I think... Let me just, um..._

Whatever else the little infobot was about to babble forth was abruptly cut off by autocannon fire from down below as the leading armoured elements reached their side of the bridgehead, clearly shooting at where ratchet and Clank were presently hunkered down next one of the massive support beams. Ellen immediately responding with a stab of the trigger and the Visibomb's TV guided missile leaping from its launch tube, before arcing up over the gatehouse with her carefully managed input, while Samus feverishly prayed for Clank's safety with gnawing worry as the battle began in earnest.

For the Thugs-4-Less tank platoon currently pushing across the bridge however, things were going rather swimmingly. The anonymous tip off that their leader had received but a few hours before all but confirming his suspicions as one of the same group which had been giving them so much trouble dropped out of orbit some distance away, leading to the entire garrison force being put on a discrete but high alert status, and with orders to draw them in close before unleashing everything they had once the Megacorp rejects walked into their pre-prepared killzone.

An ambush which had been triggered a little earlier than anticipated, but pursued with utmost vigour nevertheless given that all of them wanted a piece of the lombax and his mutant markazian reject of a girl for what they had done. The pair having slaughtered who knew how many of their friends and comrades in arms while destroying their livelihoods, and it would be the company's armoured fist who finally achieved revenge in their newly issued Mark II hover tanks. The plasma autocannons laying down an impenetrable wall of fire that pinned their target down like a cornered rat while they raced forth, while the infantry squads riding in specialist rear compartments stood ready to move in and sweep up whatever was left.

A textbook plan with minimal risk to themselves, or so they thought. Right up until the lead vehicle took a direct hit from above and just forward of the main turret; the missile punching through the much thinner top armour and blowing a gaping hole in the commander-gunner's crew compartment. The accompanying squad immediately bailing out and falling in behind the other vehicles as they fanned out so as to make themselves a harder target, while continuing to advance and lay down suppressive fire all the while on wherever they thought the shooter might be holed up. Which gave Ratchet all the opening he needed to dart back out of cover with his Minirocket Tube shouldered and feline features set into a particularly vicious grin.

"Hey, you guys forget about me?"

A hail of plasma rifle fire was his immediate answer, but Ratchet was already moving. A trio of high explosive rockets slamming into the already damaged lead tank as it attempted to redirect its main gun and blowing one of its hover units off entirely, while another of Ellen's TV guided missiles struck down from above to finish the job. Leaving the remaining two vehicles to close ranks and charge forth with their autocannons blazing in an attempt to both clear the exposed bridge and allow their escorting infantry to close for the kill. Something which neither lombax or human had any intentions of allowing anytime soon.

With the tanks rapidly moving in and increasing the risk of accidentally hitting her partner however, Ellen steered one final guided missile to slam down upon one of their turrets before switching back to her sniper rifle. Electing to pick off the infantry from a distance and keep them focused on her while Ratchet concentrated on taking out their armoured support up close; a luminous green vapour trail stabbing out and punching through one unlucky thug's helmet while sending the rest scrambling for what little cover they could find.

It was almost unfair really, ludicrously so given how much of an advantage her raised position was. One panicking merc after another going down with but a few well aimed shots thanks to Samus directing her on to each target with unerring efficiency, and virtually zero chance of them shooting back at this kind of range now that Ratchet had the last tank fully occupied. The lombax having popped the other with a couple of Mini-Nukes and the squad hiding behind it, making it only a matter of time until they wiped out the rest and continued to push forth into the fortress itself.

Which is, of course, when Murphy decided to throw a spanner in the works. For if the Vaporizer had one distinct flaw, then it was briefly lingering after trail left behind with each shot; making it all too easy for a keen observer to trace the shooter's location and retaliate in kind.

So focused was she on the task at hand that Ellen's first indication of something being wrong was when the stonework her sniper rifle was propped up on suddenly exploded in a shower of dust and masonry. Samus squeaking out in alarm and immediately hitting the deck with the redhead close behind, rolling away from her perch and ducking down behind another crumbling parapet while cursing up a storm.

"Shit! Shit! Of course they'd have frigging snipers on the walls. But where...?" Keeping low while cautiously peeking out, Ellen abruptly snapped back into her tentative cover with two more fist-sized chunks taken out of the ancient stone wall near to where her head had been. Eliciting a fresh string of creative swearing and inadvertently increasing a trembling Samus' vocabulary as she keyed their personal radio channel open once again. "Snipers have got us pinned down on the tower, no idea where they are. Cash, how long until you're with us? Could really do with some help right about now."

"Almost there, just have to shake this one off me tail," came the just barely audible reply a heartbeat later, muffled as it was against a background of cannon fire and dulled explosions. "Just hold out a little longer."

"You might wanna make that a little sooner than not," Ratchet added from several floors below. Precariously balanced on top of the last tank's turret and trying to lever the commander's hatch open with his wrench as it span around in a effort to dislodge him, which also happened to throw off the few remaining troopers aim. "There's a whole bunch more coming across the bridge and I don't think I've got enough rockets for all of 'em."

A lot more in fact. Easily three platoons worth at last glance, and with a flanking pair of attack helicopters providing air support that would on top of him within a matter of seconds, plus there was the threat of those snipers Ellen was engaged with. Adrenaline junkie that he was, even Ratchet recognised bad odds when he saw them and resolved to quickly finish the job at hand. The tank commander helpfully flinging his hatch open a moment later with pistol in hand and punching towards the lombax, only for it to be knocked from his grasp with a solid wrench strike followed by one to the skull. Ratchet dropping an unpleasant surprise from his Bomb Glove into the crew compartment while he was stunned and ducking back as it went off, before rapidly clambering inside.

While Clank was a little short to adequately drive the tank, thanks to the controls being too far apart, Ratchet had no such qualms with taking over the gun once he had resealed the hatch. the remaining thug troopers deciding to make themselves scarce as he swung the autocannon turret around to face the new threat, while the pockmarked vehicle drunkenly swerved to one side. "Hey, hold it steady, will ya? I can't get a decent shot on these guys."

"I am trying, Ratchet, but I am finding it rather difficult to both reach the pedals and manipulate the steering mechanism simultaneously."

"Just... do what you can. We gotta hold them off 'til Cash can get here. Ellen, you okay up there?"

"What do you think?!" she yelled back over the constant pounding of supersonic slugs raining on her position. The snipers apparently having given up any pretence of accuracy in favour of simply chewing directly through her cover. "We're getting the crap shot out of us, and I still have no idea where they're even shooting from!"

Um, actually, I... think I might have an idea._ Samus offered tentatively from where she was clinging to Ellen's side, getting a tilted head and raised brow in return. What if we used the missiles from your Visibomb Gun as a spotting drone? The nose cameras should be able to pick up any movement or weapon discharges from above._

"And then we can either blow them up from a distance or counter snipe the bastards," Ellen continued with an approving grin and affectionate pat that made the little infobot's core positively thrum with warmth. "Let's make it happen. Here, help me set this up."

Crawling low across the tower's surface so as to present a smaller target and not tip off the snipers, Ellen made her way towards what might once have been the rooftop access point before its collapse. The two of them dropping down into what little of the stairwell below wasn't blocked off and using several chunks of debris to securely wedge her Visibomb Gun into a high-angled position for Samus to use, while Ellen slunk off to find a new sniper perch elsewhere. The redhead finally settling for an almost identical parapet to the one she had previously vacated on the tower's opposite side, and with a convenient grapefruit-sized hole through which she could shoot from concealment.

"Alright, I'm in position. Ready when you are, Samus"

Fidgeting nervously, the little infobot gave their crude setup a last once over with roving optics before slowly tightening both of her equally tiny servos around the trigger. Okay... here goes..._

Not having much physical strength for her frame made it a much more difficult prospect than it should have been, Samus almost being knocked on her aft with an undignified squeak as the launcher suddenly bucked against her and its deadly payload rocketed towards the sky. Quickly recovering, miniaturised thrusters had her dashing back into a position where she could both see the weapon's built in monochrome screen and manipulate the linked thumbstick. Pushing the missile forward into level flight and banking right into a wide U-turn so that it ran directly parallel to the fortress walls from above, and more importantly, allowed her to get a good look at where the snipers might be hiding from up close.

I think I see one near the opposite bridgehead. Top of the outer wall, second anti-air gun from the left at its base._

"Wait one..." Ellen panned her scope across to where Samus had indicated and zoomed in, eye narrowing a little as she tried to pick out- There, a brief muzzle flash and flicker of light in an otherwise empty patch of air revealing a thin reptilian figure for but a moment before vanishing just as quickly. "Good spot, I've got him too. Looks like they're using that Hologuise knockoff to hide as well though, so no telling where any others might be hiding other than when they shoot."

Okay, I'll keep searching and- Oh. The missile ran out of fuel._

"Don't worry, just get another one back in the air while I take care of this guy."

Something she'd rather not do just yet until they had mapped out any other sniper nests, but necessary given that speed was a factor here if they wanted to ensure Angela was in one piece and still breathing by the time they found her. That and Ratchet was desperately in need of some backup right about now, and she couldn't do a damn thing to help him until the risk of having her head blown off from over half a mile away was taken care of first. The merc sniper not having a clue what hit him as a green lance of energy stabbed out across the distance and straight through his skull, leaving the others to quickly redirect their fire towards the source as Ellen relocated once more.

Back on the ground however, Ratchet was coming to terms with trying to take on quite literally tons of freshly arrived armoured vehicles with an unfamiliar and half destroyed tank that couldn't quite decide which direction to go. Clank doing his best to compensate for damaged hover units and his own inability to properly handle the controls, which of course didn't help Ratchet's aim in the slightest. The plasma autocannon spraying everywhere and lashing the front ranks of Thugs-4-Less tanks with wild abandon; accidentally shooting down one of the orbiting attack helos in the process, but otherwise achieving little more than melted armour panels and scratched paintwork at best.

In fact, it was a miracle they hadn't been hit more often or accidentally veered off the bridge for that matter; the unpredictable nature of their movements combined with using the previous wave of tanks' wreckage as cover contributing to their continual survival. But both knew it couldn't last forever, and all it would take was one lucky hit to blow them into barely recognisable pieces; meaning that they had to strike a decisive blow and fast, or otherwise bug the hell out while they still had a chance and wait for Cash to arrive. Speaking of which...

"Damn it, Cash, where are you? We're getting overrun like highway roadkill down here!"

"Right here, mate," came the more than welcome reply a moment later The cazar's blocky gunship-like vessel swooping in low at a fast clip across the lava from their immediate left with a pair of attackers latched on to his tail and a plethora of weapons now pointed directly at the occupied bridge. "Only got time for one pass though, least 'til I get these mugs off me tail, so you might want to hunker down out the way."

Implying that he planned on dropping a majority of his heavy ordinance first time around, Ratchet realised with sudden clarity, and that it would probably be a good idea to be somewhere else right about now. "Go! Get us back off this bridge right now!"

"One moment. Now where is- Ah!"

Thankfully, whether due to acclimatisation or just plain luck, Clank managed to get their tank moving in reverse and roughly heading in the right direction. A stray shell blowing off their front hover unit mere moments later and sending up a shower of sparks as the vehicle ground to a halt against the bridge side, leaving them a sitting duck for the advancing tanks as they closed in to finish the job. Something made that bit more difficult by having to negotiate around a myriad of wrecked vehicles and Ratchet attempting to fend them off with a ceaseless barrage of autocannon fire, which meant by the time they reached their intended prey, it was already far too late.

Quad laser and chain gun fire soon filled the air with an unholy chorus, shredding the sole remaining chopper to pieces in midair and sending its remains tumbling down into the lava below just as a barrage of missiles streaked past towards the bridge. A rapid series of explosions rocking the entire span upon impact and leaving four shattered, burning husks behind, while sending the mangled wreckage of a fifth flying into one of its allies with a resounding crunch of metal on metal. Cash just barely managing to pull up in time to skim the surface as he streaked by low overhead before veering off and away from the fortress with the attack ships still doggedly glued to his rear.

"Afraid that's about all I can do for now, mate," the cazar signed off as he jinked and weaved further into the coppery red sky. "I'll come back around for another pass once I've dealt with this lot, or wherever else you need me."

"Thanks, Cash," Ratchet grinned as swung the main gun back around to target one of the surviving tanks. Taking advantage of the temporary chaos to pummel its scorched frame with a heavy dose of plasma. "But I think we can take it from here. Hey, Ellen, you two almost done up there?"

"Near enough," came her flat reply as fist-sized chunks of masonry exploded from the parapet she was currently hunkered down behind.

What Samus believed to be the last remaining sniper proved to be a tenacious foe, and apparently having decided that tunnelling through her cover via supersonic, slug-based kinetic force as opposed to accuracy was the way to go. But while he might have had her effectively pinned down, Ellen wasn't phased due to a few crucial factors that the marksman hadn't taken into account. Namely that by constantly shooting without pause, he had given away his position to the guided missile turned improvised drone orbiting above; one packing a tank-killing explosive payload that was currently nosing over into a dive and about to drop directly on top of his head.

Did... Did I get him?_ Samus tentatively asked once the thunderclap of an explosion died away a few moments later. Ellen chancing a tentative peek from around her crumbling cover now that the torrent of incoming fire had ceased entirely and taking in the thoroughly scorched section of fortress wall, along with what remained of the compact bunker he had been camping in.

"...Yeah, I'm pretty sure you got him," she quipped dryly, before making her way back to the other side of the tower in order to better support the other two still on the ground. "Speaking of which, how many missiles do you have left?"

Um... Four, I think. Why?_

"Because there's still a few tanks left on the bridge, and it looks like Ratchet could do with a hand," She observed as Ratchet bailed out of his stolen ride with Clank in tow.

The pair ducked down behind the still burning hull of another vehicle right before the stricken tank was blown apart by a volley of cannon fire, which Ratchet took as his cue to open up once again with his Minirocket Tube on the closest foe. A TV guided missile screaming down from above to finish the job shortly thereafter, courtesy of Samus, while Ellen ejected her Vaporizer's spent clip and slammed a fresh one home, before going to work on the surviving thug troopers who were still trying to rally behind their armoured shield.

After that it was just a matter of cleaning up the rest, and within less than a minute it was all over. A sense of quiet settling in across the war torn bridge span, save for a the faint crackling of fire from charred remains of mangled vehicles as their fuel cells merrily burned away, and allowing everyone a moment to regroup in relative peace. A wry grin etched across Ratchet's face as he leaned against a shattered tank's hull with Clank stood by his side; the pair watching as Ellen carefully abseiled down from the now thoroughly cratered tower she had been camping on with Samus in tow, before jogging up to them with a breathless greeting on her lips.

"Well... I'm going to go out on a limb and say they know we're here by now."

"One heck of a welcoming committee too, that's for sure," Ratchet countered as he fell into step alongside her with Clank safely nestled on his back once more. The pair weaving through the carnage they had wrought across the bridge's length at a steady pace in order to better catch their collective breath, while Samus kept pace from slightly above and behind them. "Now c'mon, let's get across this bridge before- Hey, you hear that?"

Pausing in mid-stride, Ellen cocked her head to one side with ears straining and a brow furrowed in thought. There was definitely something faint on the very edge of senses, more felt than heard, and distinctly different from the ambient background noise of flying ships and bubbling lava she had gradually become accustomed to after a few hours spent on Snivelak. Making it all the more strange that it seemed oddly familiar somehow; the sound of distant thunder now more pronounced and accompanied by a rising, whistling pitch that made her eyes widen in terror as icy cold realisation gripped her stomach.

"Incoming! Get do-"

The rest of Ratchet's warning was soon drowned out by deafening explosions as the opening salvo rained down upon them without mercy. Most of which thankfully either overshot their likely target and landed near the bridgehead where they had fought, demolishing a good portion of Ellen's former sniper tower in the process, or otherwise splashed down into the lake itself and sending up plumes of lethally hot lava that sprayed in every direction. But even the few shells which actually struck the bridge span were enough to cause some serious damage; leaving torn and gaping holes which outright threatened its structural integrity and producing aftershocks which easily be felt from dozens of yards away.

It was certainly enough to set Ellen's teeth on edge and ears ringing at any rate. The half a tank chassis they had dove to prone behind just before the first shells struck home providing little protection against the sheer blast force and overwhelming noise of what had to be a close range artillery strike, even with the sound dampening functionality of her commando helmet working overtime. Not that there was any time to recover at any rate since Ratchet was already dragging the dazed redhead back to her feet and shouting for her to run; the thundering chorus of a second barrage echoing through the air only serving to make them move faster still in an effort to cross the bridge before the shells hit.

"WHY THE HELL ARE THEY DROPPING ARTILLERY ON US?!" Ellen practically screamed out over a fresh batch of roaring explosions that were way too close for comfort. The gun crews seeming to have improved their aim with each subsequent salvo and were now flinging shells dangerously close to both the fleeing foursome and the fortress walls themselves. "THEY'RE GOING TO HIT THEIR OWN SIDE TOO!"

"REALLY DON'T THINK THEY CARE RIGHT NOW!" Ratchet shouted back over his shoulder. Pausing only to dodge around a cratered section of bridge as it collapsed into the lava below, before putting on a fresh burst of speed. "C'MON! FASTER!"

Heart thundering in her mouth and breathing ragged with each step, Ellen forced herself to quicken the pace further still in a desperate effort to stay ahead of the creeping barrage. Logical thought having long taken a backseat to instinct and every fibre of her being concentrating on simply staying alive as she shadowed the lombax's every move. Another round of shells crashed down shortly thereafter, bracketing the bridge and almost sending them sprawling across the metallic-lined surface, only for the commandos to stagger on before taking off into a flat sprint once again.

For once Ratchet had led them past the final twisted remnants of the mangled armoured column, there was nothing but clear bridge between them and the fortress itself, and neither intended to stop for anything or anyone if they could help it. Something that whoever was directing the artillery likely had in mind, given the rapidly increasing volume of shells bombarding them right now, along with an unnerving increase in accuracy. The very next salvo zeroed in and poised to reduce the intruders to so much paste, were it not for the intervention of one Cash Harding, mercenary extraordinaire.

"Not this time, ya pikers," he mumbled aloud while thumbing the bright red release button on his flight stick. The blocky ship continuing to skim low over the fortress interior at high speed and with a fresh batch of pursuers hot on his tail all the while as the cazar tried to gain some much needed distance.

Especially since the deadly payload he had just released was presently whistling down towards a partially concealed artillery battery in the northern portion of the fortress; punching straight through the roof of a nearby ammunition storage locker and detonating in a spectacular fashion that was easily visible for miles around. As was the following pillar of smoke and flames too, plus a brief tremor that could even be felt all the way over at the closest bridgehead as a heavily panting Ellen and moderately winded Ratchet finally made it out of the killzone. The pair taking a moment to rest and recover in the shadow of the fortress walls before pushing forth once again.

"The hell was that?" Ellen managed to ask between gulping down lungfuls of air.

"More like who," Ratchet shot back with an appreciative grin, before reopening their joint radio channel and speaking aloud. "Hey, Cash? Tell me that was you just now."

"Scratch one artillery piece and a whole lot of ammo," came the merc's cheerful reply a moment later. Secondary explosions still rocking the northern quadrant of the fortress and hampering any attempts at tackling the growing blaze there. "Should keep 'em off your back for a while at any rate, 'less they wanna risk hitting their own blokes. But you're not out of the woods just yet."

"I assume Thugs-4-Less have dispatched reinforcements?" Clank queried with a slight tilt of his helm, while Samus discretely observed him with a turbulent mixture of outright admiration and gnawing worry flickering across her optics.

"Heading your way fast, and a lot of 'em too," Cash confirmed with an undertone of tension. Not surprising really given the number of cockpit alarms they could hear blaring in the background, and the fact that virtually every turret and gun platform within ten square miles was currently trying to blow him out of the sky, along with the merc's attack ships still dogging him all the while. "Afraid you'll have to handle 'em yourselves for now though. Reckon I'm gonna be busy for a while."

"Ah, don't worry about us," Ratchet reassured him before waving his mostly recovered human partner forward. "You just concentrate on keepin' 'em busy and staying in one piece. We'll handle the rest from down here. You good to go, babe?"

Ellen nodded briefly, but otherwise didn't take her eyes off their route ahead. The pair having fallen into step alongside one another with weapons at the ready as they crossed through the still lowered and open inner gate and into the fortress itself. "As much as I'll ever be. Let's just find wherever they've taken Angela and get the hell out of here. Preferably before the thugs can drop any more surprises on us."

{()}

"What do mean, they got past the bridge?" Logan demanded as he continued to march down the corridor at a fast pace. The robust and utilitarian phone creaking from the constant squeezing pressure of his shovel-like hand, while the other balled into a slightly shaking fist. "There shoulda been enough tanks, choppers, and troops out there to blast those lousy, no good commando rejects into teeny tiny pieces! What am I paying you morons for?!"

"Sorry boss, but these guys're packing some serious heat, and air support to boot," a slightly distorted voice echoed forth from the phone. Logan having switched it to loudspeaker mode and clearly able to pick out muffled explosions in the background amidst a constant rattle of automatic gunfire. "Our air patrols are trying to deal with it, and we're pulling more guys from the western quadrant to back up the reserves already moving on the gate. But with the VTOL base on the south side out of commission and the northern ammo dump threatening to cook off without my people putting out the fires, there's not a lot of manpower to spare-"

"I don't wanna hear it, Calthorn," Logan interrupted with a dismissive wave of his hand. "If you and your boys can't handle a couple of Megacorp rejects, then at least keep 'em busy 'til I get there. You got that?"

Thumbing the end call button without even bothering to wait for a response, he made to slip the phone back into a specially designed compartment on his armour, only to pause as a flash of inspiration sprung to mind. There was no such thing as too much insurance in this line of work, and bitter experience gained in his previous encounters had taught Logan that he would need all the advantages he could get in order to deal with that crazy lombax and his girl. So why not make use of every resource he had at his disposal while there was still an opportunity; including a particularly valuable bargaining chip that both Megacorp and the rogue commandos were itching to get their hands on.

With a very specific speed-dial number already keyed in, the mercenary leader turned immediately left at the next junction and entered an open elevator car as the phone rang. The doors closing shortly thereafter as he thumbed the button for his intended destination a dozen or so floors above in the fortress' citadel tower, while waiting impatiently for someone to pick up on the other end as the phone rang. "C'mon... C'mon... What's takin' so long?"

"Yeah, who is it?" a harried voice soon greeted him from the phone's tinny speakers, before perking up a little upon apparently realising the caller's ID. "Oh, hey boss! What do you need?"

"About time you picked up, Bling," Logan groused before getting right to the point. "That stowaway we picked up on the last supply run, where is she right now?"

"Iso-cell four, boss. Just like you asked," came the Buddy brother's slightly puzzled reply. "No way she's getting out of there anytime soon, and the bars are rigged in case she tries anything stupid."

A slowly growing, toothy grin began to creep across Logan's face as a plan of action began to form in his mind. One that would give him a decisive advantage over those dumb enough to come knocking on his front door business and ensure they would think twice before trying to attack him again. "Good. Have her brought up to the central hanger bay, along with an engineering team and as many escorts as you can spare. It's about high time I gave the Behemoth a live field test, but not without a few... modifications first..."

Well that can't be good, and especially with the Buddy brothers confirmed on site as well. See you next time for what I hope to be the second Act's explosive finale and perhaps the mother of all boss fights, or at least to date anyway. Take care for now, and see you then!

Review replies:

Firestar5277 - I know I've said it before, but while writing air or space combat is difficult to get right at the best of times, its oh so satisfying to pull once everything clicks together. Glad you enjoyed it, and the climatic dogfight with Ace in particular. With any luck I may well be able to incorporate some larger scale space battle scenes into the sequel too, should things pan out the way I hope.

Also, I'm in a fairly decent place right now story wise, so I should be able to keep up my bi-monthly update schedule for the foreseeable future at least. Although if things start to get too much again, I do intend to slow down and take my time to get it right rather than rushing out a meh chapter. That's one particular lesson I learned the hard way. Also-also, that's actually a really good pun. I'll have to remember that one… and try to come up with one of a similar calibre. Hmm…

While straight up telling Clank would probably be the easiest solution to Samus' woes, it would - as you pointed out - take away most of the drama. That and of course the fact that she's awkwardly shy around him, while Clank can be somewhat dense at the best of times when it comes to matters of the heart. As for yandere Samus, I'm thinking maybe omake territory if I can come up with something half decent, and find enough time between chapters to actually write it.

I know your feelings on Ace all too well, and I think at least half the readership is on the same page, although it'll be interesting to see if your suspicions on his motives and loyalties tally up with what I've got pencilled out for the latter stages. He is a slippery little SOB with fingers in too many pies after all, and who knows, I may well surprise you yet! Take care for now, and hope you enjoy the new chapter.

starrat - Thank you once again!

bajy - Thanks! Here's hoping you like this one too.

Snow Wolf Alpha - I know we've already corresponded via PM by now, but might I say it's always good to hear from a new reviewer. I've done my best to try and make Ellen a relatable character without straying into Mary Sue territory or becoming a caricature, and I don't think I've done too badly thus far all. The same goes for my interpretation of the canon cast as well, with Ratchet and Ellen's relationship slowly building up over time and progressing beyond 'just plain kissing' as they get to know one another more intimately.

Typically speaking, for humans at least, sexual dimorphism does mean that men tend to be taller than women. Although seeing as Ratchet's only around 5'1" to the top of his ears if the Wiki is to be believed, it's perhaps little surprise that Ellen has a good six inches on him. That and fate is constantly conspiring to make him the shortest person in the room. I'd love to see what you'd make of a RatchetxOC story myself, though I can't help but wonder if your shipping choices might make something much interesting as a crossover instead… In either case, thanks again for reviewing, and hope to hear from you again soon.

Light Seeker 001 - To be fair, I'm pretty sure all of our heroes know there's something seriously wrong with Fizzwidget by now, although perhaps no real idea as to what extent just yet. Or at least not until they can start connecting the dots together anyway.

While I have a fairly detailed storyline sketched out for the sequel, I'm afraid Caitlin won't be part of it. To be fair, even if I did include her, she'd only be a bit player at best and an unnecessary addition at that which wouldn't really contribute to the ongoing narrative. I do however have a couple of omake ideas which I plan to use her in; giving a human perspective to Ellen's life between the first two games and how she's grown as a character. Sorry.

As for the Biobliterator, Up Your Arsenal's canon is a bit inconsistent on it at the best of times. Something I plan to clear up for this story's head canon, along with explaining or substituting any niggles with my own explanation. For example, the Thyranoids are only loyal to Nefarious since he helped supply them with weapons, ships, and worlds to target for aggressive colonisation in exchange for acting as his shock troops; being far too dim-witted to realise that he planned to betray them too.

Also, I intend for Biobliterator to induce heightened aggression towards organics in those it converts, including Skidd, so that they will attack on sight. Imagine if you will the effect that'll have on Metropolis once Nefarious has test fired the weapon, and the resulting chaos/moral dilemma as converted citizens rise up to strike out at anything with a pulse. Hope that helps clear some things up.

DarkEnigma95 - Well, I did want to make this level a bit more climatic than in canon, so I'm glad you approve. Pretty sure Logan doesn't quite realise how others might interpret his accidental innuendo either, and I do intend to string out the mystery of Ace's ultimate scheme for as quite some time yet. Gotta have that big reveal at the story's climax, after all. Here's hoping Ellen can finally put the whole markazian thing behind her, and that you'll enjoy this chapter just as much. Thanks again!

Sonachugirl - Just goes to show, I guess; sometimes people really are what they seem at first glance, and Ace is no different. Although he does seem to have an overwhelming urge to bulk buy earplugs for some mysterious reason…

Incidentally, what game were you guys playing? At a guess I'd say one of the latter Resident Evil sequels, what with the chainsaws and all, but something tells me otherwise. Either way I can easily see the sheer amount of 'Oh-shit-oh-shit-oh-shit' going on there when you're about to get overrun, only to find you've got to hold out even longer still because reasons. Although on the plus side, it always feels like a major achievement once you both finally manage to beat the damn thing together as a team and move on to the next challenge, and isn't that half the fun of playing a co-op game?

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

Thanks for reading

- RevenantReaper337