Author's note:
Bit of a struggle to get things finished on time this week I'm afraid, thanks in no small part to some unfortunately timed personal circumstances, although things have gotten better in the meantime. This does mean however that I'll have to play catch up in order to ensure the next chapter is ready on time, and quite possibly a few delays as well, for which I apologise in advance. Here's hoping I can pull things back, and that you'll find this chapter up to par.
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 38:
Bastion
Thugs-4-Less Headquarters, Snivelak
Bogon Galaxy
G2.17.085 Galactic calendar
6:24pm local time
Pushing forth along the wide and open roads which crisscrossed its length in a maze-like fashion, an idle part of Ellen's mind couldn't help but wonder about the fortress' history and just how old it really was.
The tower she had previously occupied as a sniper's nest while they were fighting their way across the bridge had seemed practically ancient in construction, given what little she had seen while getting shot at, and the fortress interior appeared to be much the same when viewed up close. The whole thing an almost eccentric mixture of alien medieval-esque architecture mixed in with ultra modern structures and features, such as paved roads, electrical lighting, and multiple weapon emplacements situated on every available space upon the looming exterior walls. Thus turning what might once have been a thriving trading hub back in days long past into a high tech bastion from which a budding PMC could project itself in confidence while keeping out any adversaries and rivals.
Or at least that was until they had arrived in a quite literally explosive fashion. A volley of high velocity rockets punching through yet another hover tank's already weakened rear armour and setting off the internal ammunition stores; detonating with enough force to pop the turret off and send it careening through the air, while multiple Bouncer submunitions carpeted the surrounding area like a fiery blanket. Ratchet and Ellen not slowing down in the least as they charged through the resulting chaos and into what was left of the tank's escorting squad with a lethal combination of electrified shotgun blasts and automatic fire, before turning right at the now cleared defended intersection and on to the next 'street' along.
"We've gotta be getting close by now," Ratchet opinioned as they continued past a parked hover truck laden down with supplies. Taking the opportunity to reload his Heavy Lancer during the brief lull, while still keeping an eye on their surroundings for signs of another ambush like the thugs had sprung a few streets back. "Clank, which way from here?"
If nothing else. the resident mercenary forces had been getting ever denser and better organised the closer they had gotten towards the single tallest and much more modern-looking tower which occupied the centremost section of the fortress. Which, given the sheer numbers being thrown their way thus far, made it the most likely candidate for both where Angela was being held and whatever command structure Thugs-4-Less had coordinating their combined defensive efforts. Of course they actually had to get there first however, and that was something which was proving to be a damn sight harder than first imagined when traversing the confusing mess of haphazardly laid out streets were taken into account, let alone doing so while getting shot at all the while.
"I am unsure," Clank answered with a frown borne of frustration. "The fortress layout appears deliberately designed to confound and disorient any potential attackers, making successful navigation a difficult task."
"Well, we could always try scoping things out from the rooftops," Ellen suggested. "Hell, I'm sure Samus could- Choppers!"
Taking her warning to heart, Ratchet quickly joined the redhead in pushing up against the nearest building as a flight of attack helicopters thundered by overhead in a hurry. The pilots thankfully not spotting the hiding quartet in their haste and seemingly angling back towards the bridgehead where they had originally come from in a wide search pattern. Something which probably wouldn't take long once they caught wind of the trail of destruction left in the lombax and human's wake, and followed it directly to the source.
Craning his neck out of their shared cover and swiftly checking the blood red sky for any more traffic, Ratchet made sure it was clear before waving Ellen forward. "Okay, I think we're good. What were you saying again?"
"That Samus could probably fly up top and get a lay of the land from above," Ellen clarified, before turning her attention towards the surprised-looking little infobot hovering over her shoulder. "I hate asking you to put yourself in harm's way, and I'm not going to force you to this. But you're a lot smaller, faster, and a damn sight harder for the thugs to spot from a distance than the rest of us combined, and it probably wouldn't take you more than a matter of seconds to find a route towards that tower. So, what do you say?"
Optics wide and servos entwining nervously at being put on the spot like this, Samus' gaze flickered to each of the other three who were waiting on her answer, before finally settling on Clank. For while what Ellen was asking her to do was scary, and ran the risk of exposing herself to a bullet through the chassis or worse, seeing his deceptively calm and inquisitive look helped to stiffen her resolve. This was an opportunity to prove that she wasn't just a useless, quivering mess of a converted infobot to be pitied; that she could pull her own weight amongst the heroes who had taken her in, and maybe even impress the robot she loved enough to gain his undivided attention.
Slowly and hesitantly, Samus nodded. Not really trusting herself to convey more than a few clipped words in her intensely nervous state. I'll do it._
Ellen nodded in return, giving her a comforting smile and laying a gentle hand upon a tiny shoulder. "Thank you, Samus. You have no idea how much we appreciate it. Just make sure you stick low to the rooftops and keep an eye on your surroundings for anybody else up there, and you'll do fine. Okay?"
Watching the pink infobot positively glow with pride at the heartfelt compliment and zip off with new found enthusiasm, Ellen's brief flicker of amusement at her behaviour was quickly replaced with worry for her new friend's safety. Something she forced herself not to dwell upon in favour of focusing on the task at hand, and just in time too as it turned out. Ratchet having led them further down the street while continuing to hug the building's exterior wall, only for a telltale flash of bright white light to greet them once they reached the next junction. One that was swiftly followed by several more all around the commandos as a fresh squad of Thugs-4-Less troopers teleported in with some much more heavily armed backup.
"Oh come on!" Ratchet exclaimed while throwing his arms up in the air. "That's just plain cheating!"
The thugs apparently thought otherwise or just plain didn't care, promptly filling the air with plasma and forcing the two commandos to scatter in opposite directions as the wall they had been stood in front of was rapidly turned into a piece of contemporary art. The distinct lack of cover forcing them to think fast and fight on the move, with Ellen leaving a trail of Megaturrets in her wake to help support them while Ratchet elected to drop a Mini-Nuke on the greatest concentration of mercs.
It didn't exactly help that they had brought a pair of shield bearing enforcers with them to help soak up damage and draw attention from the rest of the squad, before closing into close quarters where their oversized shotguns were utterly lethal. Nor was the fact that there was one of the crimson-armoured brutes leading them with his plasma cannon having already recharged; pointing it towards the lombax as he backflipped over a fresh volley of fire with contemptuous ease and carefully timing the shot so that it would hit his predicted landing spot.
A ploy which probably would have worked, had it not been for something suddenly smashing into the merc's helmet and jogging his aim at the last second. The bulbous ball of plasma instead taking off a good section of roofing from the building across the street and leaving the squad leader glaring up in search of the source, only to blink in bewilderment at the pink and distinctly feminine infobot hovering a good dozen or so feet above him. Another slab of ancient slate roof tile just barely held aloft in both servos and a slightly sheepish look evident in her glowing blue optics as she squirmed under his narrow-eyed glare.
Eh-heh... Um, hi?_
...
For a few long moments they simply continued to stare at one another with growing tension. The sounds of battle raging all around, yet somehow never intruding on their little oasis of calm, only for the brief spell to quickly be broken by the reptilian man drawing his sidearm and filling the airspace around her with hot lead. Forcing Samus to veer away with a frightened squeak as bullets zipped past her chassis close enough to mark the paint, before hastily abandoning the tile she had been carrying and taking off back towards the closest rooftop at full thrust. Inadvertently dropping it directly on top of a helmetless trooper as he tried to sneak up on a distracted Ellen and rendering him completely unconscious via blunt force trauma to the skull.
Ratchet meanwhile had already finished off his last opponent with a flurry of punishing wrench strikes and was already rolling over the collapsing body as he sighted red clad squad leader shooting at their latest ally. The lombax quickly springing back to his feet the second he hit the ground with the Sheepinator already in hand, before enveloping the otherwise preoccupied merc with a beam of swirling particles as he dashed forth to intercept.
As it was, the squad leader barely had enough time to realise what was going on and level his recharged plasma cannon at this new threat before being transmogrified into a bewildered-looking woolly maggot. One that was soon sent scrambling away with a distressed bleat as Ratchet blew straight past with a whole lot of plasma fire nipping at his heels; crossing to the far side of the street and using the nearest wall as a springboard to back into the fight with his Heavy Lancer blazing away.
"They just keep coming!" Ellen yelled as she ducked under yet another merc's swung rifle and jammed her heated Versa Blade under his chest plate, before wrenching it free and snapping her hand cannon towards one that had just teleported in to her right. "We're going to get swarmed at this rate!"
Which, given the sheer numbers assaulting their tenuous position and dwindling ammo supply, was fast becoming an inevitability. The thugs apparently content to simply drown them in numbers and keep them boxed in until their heavy units arrived, such as the hover tank which came stalking up the street behind them. The telltale keen of its thrusters almost lost within the constant din of gunfire and explosions all around them, or at least that is until Its main gun discharged with a resounding boom and demolished a good chunk of the wall just behind where Ratchet stood fighting; sending him and a number of nearby thugs sprawling from the force of impact alone.
Ears ringing once again from being way too close to the explosion, Ellen managed to stagger upright from a half crouch and turned her HK22 Gun on the offending tank, only to see it suddenly rocked by multiple blasts from above. The blocky form of Cash's ship just barely recognisable in the split second it took to streak past overhead upon completing its strafing run, before banking off out of sight with multiple light attack transports still in hot pursuit. "You might want to hurry up and get moving down there. There's plenty more inbound, and I'm not sure how much longer I can hold this lot off without having to bug out."
"Thanks, Cash. We noticed," Ellen breathed out before turning her attention back towards where Ratchet was now back on his feet and enthusiastically knocking out the downed mercs with wrench assisted hammer blow to the skull. "Samus, are you okay up there? Did you manage to find us a route?"
I, um... I think so._ the little infobot confirmed as she darted back into view from the rooftop across the street and towards Ellen's side. There's a big courtyard up ahead with parked vehicles and some kind of turrets at the edges. We'll need to go left from here and then cut right through a cluster of warehouses, but from there on it should be a straight run towards that central tower._
"Sounds like a plan," Ratchet opinioned with a grin as he walked over towards them while twirling his wrench, only to freeze in mid-step not even halfway there as he stared over Ellen's shoulder. "...and a really good reason to leave. Like, right now."
Before she could even think to ask what had him so worked up, the sudden screech of metal on metal had Ellen's head whipping around to see the wrecked tank get shunted aside by another as it ploughed past at the head of another armoured column. This one comprised of the same infantry support tanks they had first encountered on the bridge, and whose attendant squads were already deploying while autocannon turrets swivelled in search of targets. Only for Ratchet to grab the redhead by the hand and promptly yank her away with a startled yelp; having crossed the remaining distance in an instant and quickly dragging them both towards the shelled building as fast as he could.
"C'mon, move it! We gotta get off the streets before they see us!"
On that they could all agree, and the second they had reached the gaping hole in the wall and vaulted through, the two commandos immediately sought to put as much distance between them and the roving mercs outside as possible. Clank pointing out a door on the far side of the wrecked storage room they had ended up in and Samus zipping ahead and taking advantage of her tiny stature to check it was clear on the other side before everyone piled through with all due haste. Just barely missing the leading Thugs-4-Less search team as a trooper poked his head through the gap with his rifle's mounted flashlight illuminating the darkened interior.
The only choice now was to continue pushing forward, and after a few more doors plus an interconnecting corridor, the team soon found themselves back out on the street a quarter block or so away while looking directly at the cluster of warehouses Samus had mentioned. The deep thrum of engine noise and barked orders coming from further down the road on both sides acting as a constant reminder of just how many thugs were likely out for their blood in force right now, adding a sense of urgency to their pace that suddenly spiked with the reappearance of an attack helicopter squadron overhead with exceptionally itchy trigger fingers.
"Oh crap, run!" Ellen barely squeezed out before a torrent of plasma began to explode all around them. Ratchet wasting no time in joining her as they sprinted across the open ground between them and the closest warehouse with a fearful Samus in tow, before blowing a side door to pieces with his rocket launcher once close enough and bolting inside.
Not that having a roof over their heads meant they were safe by a long shot, and especially since the orbiting chopper pilots apparently didn't care about collateral damage or the warehouse's contents in the slightest. The two commandos finding themselves having to run an exceptionally deadly gauntlet as the roof suddenly gained a whole lot of unwanted ventilation via helicopter-mounted weaponry, which came far too close to setting off the countless tons of various munitions containers stored within its walls in neatly ordered rows for either of their liking.
All it would take was one stray spark to set off the whole powder keg, and unfortunately for our heroes, they hadn't even gotten halfway across the packed warehouse floor before a hail of rockets screamed through a gap in the ceiling. The salvo just so happening to strike a particularly unsafe shipping crate that was crammed full of budget incendiary bombs, the virtually non-existent safety measures of which failed miserably and set off a chain reaction that soon began to engulf a good portion of the warehouse interior in flames. Threatening to cook off the remaining munitions at any second and making Ratchet and Ellen's desperate flight that bit more difficult as they pushed themselves harder still to escape the inevitable blast radius.
It didn't help that the helos had already inadvertently set off some of the less secure and older crates with their constant rain of fire; feeding the already growing flames and splitting the team in half as an explosion caused part of the roof to collapse. Ellen staggering to one side with a pained gasp as a chunk of debris slammed into her chest plate, but otherwise not losing her momentum as she leapt over a merrily blazing support beam that had crashed down in her path and resumed her flat sprinting pace. The redhead sparing a quick glance to check Samus was still following alongside, and glad not for the first time that her helmet had a built in rebreather to help filter out the thick, choking smoke which was rapidly filling the enclosed warehouse.
Thankfully the end was soon in sight however, and not before time given that the soaring heat building within the warehouse was threaten to overwhelm her suit's automated temperature regulation suite. The reinforced glass window ahead of her absorbing a trio of hand cannon rounds, only to shatter entirely as Ellen thumbed the modified Leviathan's remote detonator button and threw herself through the remains, before hitting the ground outside hard in an uncontrolled mess of limbs. Ratchet's gloved hand yanking her pained, groaning form upright and steering them both away from the doomed building at a staggering run just as its contents finally reached critical mass.
A deafening roar thundered across the surrounding area and was easily audible for miles around, shattering glass in adjacent buildings and bowling over any unfortunates stood nearby through sheer force of detonation alone. Although thankfully for them, a majority of the resulting pressure wave was directed vertically and quite literally raised the warehouse roof in a spectacular fashion; massive chunks of flaming debris pulverising those choppers still foolishly orbiting directly above and forcing the rest to scatter. While any pursuing ground forces on the opposite side finding themselves completely cut off from the intruders by a towering inferno, forcing them to either find another route or help join those fighting to keep the blaze from engulfing the next warehouse over.
Rolling on to her back with ears ringing and lungs clawing for fresh air once the rebreather retracted back into her helmet, Ellen couldn't help but gape at the destruction behind them. Ratchet not faring much better from where he was flopped down on the charred ground beside her, while his words were marred by an involuntary coughing fit. "E-everyone okay?"
Getting a chorus of grunts, groans, and general ascent as everyone started to pick themselves up, the lombax took a moment to study their surroundings through still bleary eyes, only to immediately perk up upon realising where they were. "Hey, check it out! Guess we're on the right track after all."
Sure enough, once she was back on her feet and coherent enough to actually take in the paved courtyard they had landed in, Ellen could clearly see that it was in fact a motor pool just like Samus had described earlier. A multitude of vehicles ranging from light jeep analogues and transport vehicles to heavily armoured tanks parked in designated spots along the perimeter, with several obvious gaps for those that were clearly in use and secure fuel bunkers located in-between. Not to mention a handful of defensive missile batteries and anti-aircraft guns scattered throughout the area, which would have been really useful against the swarm of attack helicopters rapidly closing in on their position were it not for them being fully automated and with no obvious manual controls.
Exchanging a wordless look of exasperation, the two commandos rapidly split off in opposite directions once more with their respective robotic partners in tow as the surrounding helos lit up the area with a veritable barrage of carefully aimed plasma. Their pilots apparently not taking any chances and electing to hover back well out of anticipated range for return fire, while keeping the intruders pinned down until ground based reinforcements could arrive and flush them out. A sound tactical ploy, and one which caused Ratchet nothing but a growing sense of angered frustration from where he was stuck beneath a wheeled personnel carrier with no effective way to fight back.
"Damn it! How're we supposed to get past these guys if we can't even hit 'em?!"
"I'm open to suggestions!" Ellen yelled back from her hiding spot on the other side of the motor pool. Grimacing as the few Megaturrets she had tossed out in an attempt to take some of the heat off their backs were quickly shredded to pieces before they could so much as get a single shot off. "Cash, are you still up there? We seriously do with some air support right about now!"
A burst of static buzzed in her ear for a few long seconds before the Aussie-accented cazar's voice filtered through over the radio link, strained as it was and partly muffled by a cacophony of blaring cockpit alarms. "Sorry, mates, but no can do. Just lost one of me horizontal stabilisers and the old girl's pissin' hydraulic fluid like no one's business, so I'm gonna have to find somewhere to set down for repairs before she drops outta the sky."
While his organic companions proceeded to turn the airwaves blue at Cash's apologetic explanation however, and otherwise try to fight back ineffectively, Clank had detached himself from Ratchet's back and was presently eyeing the closest automated missile battery with a thoughtful hum. Optics narrowed optics and an errant servo rubbing his chin as he recalled a similar situation that had occurred during the climax of their last adventure, and his wildly effective solution which saw an entire Blargian airborne special forces unit completely wiped out. The question however was whether he was able to repeat that success here in time if at all, and if Samus were capable of assisting from her end of the motor pool.
"Hey, where're you going?" Ratchet yelled over the din of heavy fire raining down around their position. Clank pausing after but a few steps and turning around to face his uncomfortably cramped and worried-looking friend with determination in his optics.
"Ratchet, the local automated defence turrets appear to be linked via a shortwave wireless network, much like those the Blarg used to protect the Deplanetizer on Veldin. Should Samus or myself be able to get within a sufficient distance, I believe we may be able to gain temporary control of the system."
"And use it to take out those choppers, gotcha," the lombax replied with a grin which soon faltered with his next words. "Just be careful and stick to cover, okay? Me and Ellen'll try to keep 'em busy, but if they spot you in the open..."
"Do not worry, Ratchet. I will."
Nodding confidently, Clank gave his long time friend a faint smile before turning on his heel and taking off with a faint whirring of mechanical servos. His antennae pulsing briefly as he sent a private communications ping to Samus, which was promptly answered with her by now familiar, and dare he say rather endearing, stuttering tone. Um, H-hello?_
"Samus, I urgently require your assistance with subverting the local defence network. There should be a missile battery just north of your position near the compound exit. Are you able to reach it?"
Huddled in on herself next to Ellen's side and quivering with fear as the Thugs-4-Less choppers continued to rain death from above outside their hiding spot, Samus chanced a glance towards the direction Clank indicated and almost immediately spotted the object in question. The boxy, slate gray launcher sitting out in the open between two rows of transport trucks; mounted as it was upon some kind of heavy-duty tri-legged base and tilted back at an angle towards the sky, but otherwise completely inert.
You mean all the way out there?!_ she squeaked in fright. Optics widening and servos shaking as her gaze darted between the dangerously exposed weapon platform and her comfortably safe position with increasing apprehension. I can't! I-I just can't!_
"Thugs-4-Less reinforcements will likely be here at any moment, and will swiftly overwhelm us all unless we do something," Clank reasoned. Pausing only to make sure the way was relatively clear before darting across an open parking space and ducking beneath the next vehicle along in sequence. "Our only option is to override the local defence network and secure air supremacy; something which will likely require multiple separate nodes to be hacked simultaneously in order to gain sufficient access."
I... I..._
"Samus, please, I can not do this alone." he implored with a heartfelt sincerity and three little words that caused almost every higher function in Samus' processor to grind to a halt.
"I need you."
For a moment she simply hovered in place like a frozen statue, body stiffened and unmoving, while unseeing optics stared off into space. The sheer turbulence of emotions running through what passed for her mind almost causing a meltdown as she struggled to comprehend the implications of his request; some of which was rather lewd and made her internal fans kick into overdrive as she flushed with heat. But that was soon overshadowed by the rapidly growing sense of sheer Joy that he, the robot of Samus' dreams, wanted her! Admittedly to do something dangerous and scary that ran counter to all of her self preservation programming perhaps, but still!
What was it Ellen had said before back on Gorn? Something about learning to embrace fear and using it as a tool to push forward, rather than allowing its icy grip to rule one's actions, or at least if she remembered right. A piece of advice which Samus had largely ignored at the time in favour simply holding on for dear life during the ensuing aerial battle, only for it to take on an entirely new perspective in the face of their current situation. One in which the very lives of her newfound friends and potential suitor hung in the balance, and the only chance of saving them involved braving a veritable gauntlet of parked vehicles and burning plasma raining down from above.
Of course when put like that, there was only real option available to her. Samus venting a condensed blast of heated air from her lower intakes as she steeled her nerves for what she was about to do. Okay... I can do this... What do you need me to do?_
{()}
Laying back on an uncomfortable and far too short bunk with her arms folded across her chest, Angela Cross continued to scowl at the same thoroughly dented wall she had since being shoved into the cramped broom closet of a room that Thugs-4-less called a cell. The four foot square arrangement of thick metal plating not exactly offering much else to do bar waiting for a meagre meal of slop to be shoved through a tiny mail slot from the corridor outside or otherwise plotting bloody vengeance on Logan, treacherous backstabbing piece of shit that he was. And especially those assholes who had trussed her up like a damn turkey and dragged her off of the transport ship she had stowed away on, kicking and screaming blue murder all the while at their rough manhandling.
'All because I bit one of them when he started getting too handsy,' she thought bitterly. 'Still, at least it should teach the bastard not to grab my ass again.'
If not, then the verbal tirade she had unleashed upon reaching what passed for a detention level in this place and having the makeshift gag removed would certainly got the message across. The grimacing look on Logan's face at the sheer volume of insults hurled his way more than worth the few new bruises she had accumulated before he could order the goon squad to 'get her out of my sight.' Which of course led to them shoving her in the deepest, darkest, and apparently soundproof hole of an isolation cell they could find, given that she couldn't hear anything outside it whatsoever. Leaving the lombax bored to tears while fervently hoping that her last burst transmission had gotten to Cash before being abruptly cut off.
A sudden hammering on the heavily reinforced cell door startled Angela out of her brooding and almost caused her to fall off of the bunk altogether. The sound not so much heard than felt given how effective the cell's soundproofing proved to be, which only served to highlight the screeching of metal on metal as the four inch thick door slowly ground open. Setting Angela's teeth on edge and causing her ears to fold flat against her skull in an attempt to drown out the assault upon her senses, before a barked command drew her attention to a familiar bulky red-armoured figure now blocking the doorframe.
"On your feet, fur bag! Logan wants to see you."
Pushing herself upright on one elbow, Angela couldn't help but snort in derision at the reptilian man's glaring visage. "Tell him I'm busy, and that the room service here sucks." Pausing, a slight smirk graced her features as she looked him right in the eyes "How's the arm, by the way?"
The Thugs-4-Less brute however was apparently not amused by her wit; his sharpened teeth bared in a snarl as he took a step back and allowed a pair of troopers to enter with crackling shock batons already in hand. "I don't have time to play games with you, girl. Now, are we gonna do this the easy way... or the fun way?"
As if she ever had a choice, what with them all being armed, armoured, and outnumbering her three to one. While all Angela had going for her on the other hand was a barbed wit and not inconsiderable intellect; one which hadn't steered her wrong yet, and clearly knew better than to pick a fight she couldn't possibly win.
"That's what I thought," the lead merc gloated as she reluctantly held out her arms for one of his subordinates to cuff. The other keeping a wary eye out and a free hand on his holstered pistol while his partner worked, just in case she tried anything funny. "Alright, let's go sweetheart. Believe me, way he is right now, you don't wanna keep the boss waiting."
Wedged as she was between the two muscle-bound goons with both arms held in a vice-like grip, Angela had no choice but to follow as the red-armoured brute led them out of the cell and back along the corridor outside. The excessive number of restraints adorning her limbs ensuring she had no way of lashing out, while a cloth gag prevented any verbal release of the anger-fuelled anxiety she felt right now. Although that didn't stop Angela from listening in with a keen ear as the swaggering merc before her jabbered away on his radio, or the vindictive smirk upon her face as she glimpsed the faint set of bite marks on his bare forearm.
'Serves you right, asshole. Hope that reminds you to keep your hands to themselves every time you look at it.'
"Yurich here; we have the lombax and are on our way up," he continued. Clearly oblivious to her thoughts and tapping his foot impatiently as they stood before a set of closed elevator doors, with a thick digit repetitively jabbing the call button to some unseen rhythm. "What's the situation topside?"
"Still bad, and Logan's plenty pissed," came the subdued and slightly tinny-voiced reply from the merc's radio. Inherent lombax biology and enhanced hearing in particular being the only reason she could even make out any words at all, let alone understand what was being said. "We've already lost the second armoured company to those bastards, plus four squadrons of choppers and who knows how many guys. Didn't even slow 'em down."
'Wait, they're under attack?' Angela blinked in surprise but didn't resist as the elevator doors pinged open and she was roughly shoved inside. 'This place is a freaking fortress with its own personal army, plus enough attack ships to take out an entire fleet! What kind of lunatics would be stupid enough to directly assault a place... like... this... No, it couldn't be...'
"Ancestor's teeth! Are you kidding me?!" Yurich exclaimed. "I mean, there's only two of 'em, right? Why can't we just shell the crap outta them?"
"Command already tried that, and they wrecked our artillery with an air strike," the other merc shot back with a frustrated growl. "Blew up one of the northern ammo bunkers too, plus one in the east. Hell, we're having to keep pulling guys from elsewhere just to keep the fires from spreading."
'It's them; it has to be!' Angela mentally grinned to herself. The elevator rapidly beginning to ascend from whatever sub-basement level she had been held in to somewhere way up in the citadel tower while the two thugs continued their back and forth conversation 'Harding must have gotten my message and called in the other three to help. No one else in the entire galaxy would crazy enough to try and pull off something like this and actually get away with it!'
So caught up in her thoughts as she was, Angela didn't even realise the lift had reached their destination until she was pushed out of the now open doors with a start. Her ears perking up as the voice over Yurich's radio caught her immediate attention. "-figure boss man's still got something up his sleeve though. Why else would he be letting the Buddy brothers loose in those damn Titan units of theirs?"
"No idea, but I wouldn't mind a ringside seat for when Logan does sends 'em in," Yurich responded with a dark chuckle. "If those two can nearly take out our 'guests' on foot and live to fight another day, then there's no way they'll lose with that kind of firepower!"
Wait, did he mean those two lieutenants she had briefly seen trailing Logan after being 'escorted' off of the transport ship? The muscle-bound guy in the bomb disposal getup and his gaudily attired, jetpack-wearing friend, who had seemed scarily competent compared to the rent-a-goon rank and file mercs in this place? And just what the hell was a Titan unit, some kind of weapon system?
These questions and more constantly churned inside Angela's mind as she took one awkward step after another, and with no small amount of prodding by the escorting guards. But any answers or information gathering on possible escape routes were put on hold as the group reached a pair of heavy duty blast doors with 'Hanger Bay 01' stencilled upon it. Yurich placing his palm on a nearby scanner and turning back towards her with a shark-like grin as the great slabs of metal slowly parted. Her sudden gasp at catching a wide-eyed glimpse of what was inside muffled by the sounds of an accompanying klaxon and flashing orange warning lights as he chuckled aloud.
"Well, here we are," Yurich began with a grand sweeping gesture towards the towering monstrosity before them. Easily dwarfing the team of engineers using anti-gravity platform to work on its imposing frame, along with an irate Logan standing nearby who soon waved the group over. "Meet Behemoth."
{()}
This isn't working! What are we doing wrong?!_
"Try reconnecting the secondary circuit to the primary guidance actuator," Clank advised from halfway inside an open maintenance hatch with his legs dangling free. "We are almost out of time."
Having run the gauntlet of constant plasma bombardment and made a successful rendezvous at the automated missile battery he had pointed out earlier, the pair had soon discovered that hacking the defence system would be a lot harder than anticipated. Or rather virtually impossible given how surprisingly densely layered its security protocols actually were, even to the extent that a more physical approach was deemed not only preferable, but rather necessary in order to subvert the system in time. A task made even more difficult by the fact that they were operating primarily on educated guesswork, and of course being occasionally shot at by the orbiting choppers overhead or the increasing number of ground troops who had shown up over time.
Splicing a pair of hastily severed wires together and receiving a mild electric shock in return, Clank ducked his helm away from a stray bolt of plasma fire striking the hatch door beside him as he dropped back down to ground level. A murderous hail of return fire from Ratchet and Ellen keeping the thugs from advancing any further, even in spite of being pinned down themselves, and giving both Samus and himself an opportunity to finish their somewhat crude attempts at gaining control of the local turret network. Hopefully it would be enough.
"Do you have it?"
Almost, or at least I think so._ Samus replied as he crouched down beside her with a slightly tilted helm. No doubt inspecting the barely holding together patch job she had made on what they believed to be the missile battery's targeting data module. I wasn't exactly designed to be a mechanic, and have no real idea what I'm doing here. What do you think?_
"Nor was I," Clank mused aloud before laying a servo on her shoulder. A touch that she wished would linger just that bit longer, and perhaps more if they weren't all in immediate danger. "However, the wiring does seem both secure and in order to the best of my knowledge, so I believe we are ready. Ratchet?"
The last word was directed across the team's shared radio channel, and it didn't take long for the lombax to respond with a yell over the constant din of gunfire. "Clank! Tell me you've at least got something!"
"It would appear so," he responded with an unseen nod and gesture towards a rudimentary control panel they had rigged up, which Samus dashed towards. "We are about to commence fire now."
"About bloody time," Ellen shot back along with the last of her current clip. Immediately ejecting it once her carbine ran dry before slamming a fresh one home, and continuing to suppress a group of four troopers trying to flank around a parked truck to her right. "Because I've only got two spare mags left until I'm down to little more than harsh language. So if you're going to do something, now's the time."
"Samus?"
The little infobot slowly nodded to Clank's querying tone, venting deeply as she held aloft the control panel she had retrieved in both hands while poising a single metal digit over an as yet incomplete circuit. Right... Okay... Here goes nothing._
With a mechanical whir, the missile battery quickly sprung to life, along with two more nearby plus a pair of anti-aircraft guns. All of which swiftly angled upwards in order to draw a bead upon the combat helicopters buzzing overhead, whose pilots desperately tired to break away as their cockpit alarms no doubt lit up like a forest of Christmas trees, only to find they were far too late. A veritable torrent of heat seeking missiles screaming forth from their launch tubes and blanketing the skies above, while a constant barrage of automatic cannon fire swept over whatever was left, turning the helos into little more than burning chunks of scrap metal which promptly rained down across the entire motor pool without discrimination.
Suffice to say, anyone caught out in the open, or without the benefit of a multi ton armoured vehicle to act as an umbrella, suddenly found themselves having a very bad day. All the more reason to remain hunkered down beneath the nearest source of cover, just as Ellen was right now. Flinching away from a snapped off rotor blade that struck the transport vehicle's front tyre just above her head and praying for it to end soon, while Ratchet similarly stayed put under the tank where his robotic friend had left him. Which left Samus and Clank desperately clinging together while tightly pressed up against the now expended missile turret they had subverted; their small size a distinct advantage in finding an adequate form of shelter to cover themselves.
But others weren't quite so lucky, and by the time it was over, a good half of the force deployed to take them out were crushed. Quite literally in some cases, while few of the thug's attendant vehicles weren't damaged in some shape or form; giving the commando team an opportunity to regroup once they had managed to crawl out of their respective hiding spots and go back on the offensive once more. The closest handful of dazed mercs not standing a chance against their combined weight of fire as Ratchet and Ellen stormed forth, with the latter making sure to arc a random spread of cluster bombs over any potential enemy strongpoints along their route.
As it was, they were already three parts of the way across the motor pool before the survivors could effectively get their act together. The bark of individual plasma rifles soon joined by heavier brute-wielded cannons and a personnel carrier's mounted machine gun turret as more and more began to regain their bearings and resume their original objective of wiping out the seriously outnumbered attackers wholesale. Something made a lot more difficult with far fewer, scattered numbers and a distinct lack of air support, which the highest ranking officer left alive was trying to organise over the radio with a distinct lack of success thanks to a constant stream of panicked chatter from all over the fortress.
Heedless of this fact and fearing a repeat performance of earlier now that the hijacked anti-air weapon platforms were virtually spent, the two commandos pushed hard and fast in order to escape the area as quickly as possible. Ratchet vaulting over a warped piece of charred wreckage and making good use of his Multi-Star's best feature as a whirlwind of fragmenting, ricocheting projectiles pinged off of the surrounding parked vehicles and tore at the squads using them as cover. Leaving them vulnerable as it sliced into their armour and forced them into the open, where pairs of contact sensitive Bomb Glove grenades soon whittled their numbers down further still.
Of course that also meant that the thugs towards the rear now had less worries about friendly fire and were more inclined to hose the area with everything they had left. The wheeled APC's machine gun turret walking a line of tracer fire back and forth across a chokepoint formed between two now destroyed cargo haulers as the team approached, along with a half dozen or so supporting troopers. Keeping the commandos pinned down through sheer weight of fire and risk of immediate ventilation should they show their faces, while also providing cover for a pair of enforcers to flank around the blockade's far side with their shields already locked together and shotguns at the ready.
Similarly, two brutes mirrored them by hooking around the opposite side in a classic pincer movement; plasma cannons charged and fingers poised on the trigger as they simultaneously rounded the blockade a few moments later in an excellent example of precision timing. Except for the fact that there was no one and nothing there to actually shoot, save for an oddly out of place wooden shipping crate that instantly drew their attention. The brutes keeping their weapons levelled and eyes on the surrounding area in case of external threats, while the closest enforcer gingerly approached it under the watchful gaze of his partner. His shield still in place and caution lacing every step on the off chance it was booby trapped.
Which proved to be rather prudent idea since the crate suddenly jerked away at speed once the enforcer got within arms reach. Causing him to instinctively pull the trigger and blast it with a hail of shotgun pellets which passed straight through with little more than a flicker of shimmering light, much to his surprise. Or at least that is until the projected illusion shattered and revealed a scuttling Spiderbot drone hidden underneath; the optical camouflage generator attached to its midsection clearly overloaded and pockmarks visibly dotting its surface for but a moment, before promptly blowing up in their faces.
While the explosion may have been a little premature and caused no casualties however, it did serve as an excellent distraction for Ratchet and Ellen as they burst from their separate hiding spots a good few dozen yards away. The pair quickly closing the gap at a flat run while the thugs were still disoriented and hitting them up close with a combination of Tesla Claw and electrified buckshot. Overwhelming the twin brutes in short order and not giving them a chance to bring their plasma cannons to bear, although the enforcers would prove to be another story altogether. Both having braced themselves behind their hard light shields and weathering the initial blast virtually unscathed, while also finding themselves in a perfect position to immediately strike back at the duo in force.
A pair of shotguns boomed in concert and forced Ellen to throw herself back into what small scrap of cover she could find; several pellets tagging her even still and only penetrating the first few layers of her modified commando jumpsuit thanks to being beyond effective range. Although the sudden needle-like stabs of pain along the redhead's side suggested that she was definitely going to be bruised and bleeding until the Nanotech in her bloodstream decided to kick in. All of which quickly left her pinned down behind the remains of a chopper's tail rotor unit and unable to move while blindly firing over the top in an ineffective attempt to keep the enforcers at bay, only for the bullets to simply keep pinging off their interlocked shield wall while they kept shooting with impunity.
Thankfully they seemed to have temporarily forgotten about Ratchet in their brief period of target fixation, and the lombax decided to give them an explosive-shaped reminder of his presence in the form of a Minirocket Tube. A pair of high explosive projectiles slamming into the closest enforcer from behind and sending him sprawling with multiple chunks of shattered armour cascading all around, while the other swung around to deal with the perceived shooter. Deflecting a shower of debris with his still raised shield in the process and firing a spread of buckshot directly at Ratchet, who immediately somersaulted away while simultaneously clearing a path for Ellen to return the favour with a cluster of independently targeting HK22 Gun missiles.
Even with the immediate threat neutralised however, the APC and attendant squad still continued to lay down a withering hail of fire across the chokepoint where they were bogged down. Losing their strike team no doubt having an adverse effect on the remaining merc forces and leaving them content to simply keep the commandos pinned down until more back up could arrive, much like the doomed helicopter squadrons had done previously. Something that might come to pass sooner rather than not given what sounded like a tank bulldozing its way through the still blazing warehouse remains far behind them, and leaving little choice other than to break through.
While the sheer volume of fire being directed their way prevented either commando from popping out of cover, or otherwise getting an adequate bead on the opposition without being torn to pieces, there were still more indirect methods of hitting back. An explosive spam of cluster bombs and nuclear grenades soon sailing over the two now thoroughly pockmarked cargo haulers they were sheltering behind and carpeting the area beyond in a seemingly random pattern until their respective magazines ran dry.
This in turn forced the thug troopers to cease fire and hunker down lest they get caught in the ensuing bombardment, leaving the as yet unaffected APC without immediate infantry support, and forcing the crew to rely upon its buttoned down gunner's very limited field of view in order to spot targets. Which was all the opportunity Ratchet needed to bring his Minirocket Tube to bear and line up on the seam where turret met chassis; Ellen having first tossed out a few sacrificial Megaturrets to draw its attention, before hitting it hard with a trio of high explosive rockets that quickly tore through the relatively thin armour with ease.
While the first two tore a gaping hole along the perceived weak point, the third must have penetrated and hit something vital, seeing as an explosion blew out all of the crew hatches and caused the entire turret to pop off like a champagne cork. Leaving behind little more than a flaming wreck and some very well done corpses behind, of which the battered and dazed surviving troopers were soon to be added as a fresh explosive barrage wiped them out without mercy. Ratchet soon skirting around what was left of the shattered blockade with a cautious Ellen close behind, checking for any hidden surprises that the thugs might have left behind, before passing by the surrounding menagerie of wrecked vehicles and pushing on to what lay beyond.
A few twists and turns later soon found them on a relatively wide and open avenue, one that led directly to the centremost citadel spire at the very heart of the fortress itself, and which appeared to be suspiciously empty given what was happening elsewhere. Well lit buildings with a much more modern sense of architecture lining either side, and continuing along the grid-like network of 'streets' that they could see branching off at regularly spaced crossroads.
The distinct lack of any activity made everyone nervous and edgy in equal measure, making them jump at the slightest hint of movement or shadows as they cautiously advanced down the main avenue. Ellen's breathing uneven and eyes darting everywhere in search of any lurking mercenaries waiting in ambush; the adrenaline high she had been riding beginning to peter out while the vice-like grip she had on her carbine tightened further still. Ratchet faring no better with his straining ears constantly twitching in an effort to pick up any indication of trouble heading their way, and increasingly predatory movements more closely resembling that of a big cat stalking its prey. Or perhaps one being hunted by something much bigger, and trying to avoid becoming as such.
It wasn't until they had gotten to within a block of the citadel tower itself however that Ratchet suddenly froze in place. Ellen instinctively following suit and shouldering her weapon as she scanned the wide open courtyard before them, before leaning over to whisper out the corner of her mouth. "What is it?"
"Not sure... But something really doesn't feel right about this," he trailed off with a distinctly uneasy look. Fur bristling and tail twitching in irritation, before his ears suddenly flickered up towards a low whistling sound. One that was steadily growing by the second and made his eyes suddenly widen in fear. "Oh crap! Move!"
Before she could even so much as blink, Ellen found herself being grabbed by the arm and dragged a dozen or so yards away. The two commandos just barely managing to stay upright at all during the resulting shockwave as something truly massive slammed into the ground directly on top of where they had just been standing, while Samus found herself flailing through the air with a distressed squeak until one of Clank's servos managed to snag her in passing and hold on for dear life.
Even after weathering the initial impact however, a thick cloud of dust choked debris blanketed the surrounding area and prevented them from seeing just what had nearly flattened them all. Or at least that is until a buffeting gust of wind dissipated it enough to reveal the towering metallic form which lay within; one which both Ratchet and Clank were intimately familiar with from their brief bout with Logan on a small moon based proving ground orbiting Dobbo. For the fifty plus feet tall battle mech now casting its shadow over them was clearly of the same build and type, right down to the scythe-like wings protruding from its back and sunken bubble canopy. A second joining it on the opposite side of the street behind them mere moments later and cutting them off entirely.
But while both were the same bipedal, vaguely humanoid shape with viciously clawed limbs, that was where their similarities ended. The first sporting a predominantly blue paint scheme with golden highlights and striping which extended down to its silver-coloured clawed arms. Both of which projected a small hard light shield above its surface via a wrist-mounted glowing orange core, while an oversized and cumbersome-looking rifle was easily borne aloft in one hand as if it were a toy.
The second however appeared to have been modified to have a much more heavily armoured torso, with layers of extra plating hastily bolted on to every available surface and several long strips forming a 'skirt' of sorts which hung from the waist. Instead of wings, a bulky and cumbersome-looking jetpack was secured upon its back; one which mounted a huge pair of cannons that extended over the machine's shoulders at a slightly raised angle for a good dozen or so feet. The tigerstripe camouflage pattern finish felt appropriate somehow, and awfully familiar to all bar Samus when taken with the other mech's appearance. Their suspicions soon confirmed as a cocky and entirely unwelcome voice boomed forth from the first machine via external speakers.
"Well, well... Look who's back for more," Buddy Bling smug tone rang forth from the safe confines of his cockpit. A shark-like grin clearly adorning his face as he gazed down on them from above. "You know, for a while there, we were starting to think you'd never show up."
"Which'd be a shame, 'cause we got a bone to pick with you people," Boom rumbled as his machine took one earthshaking step forth. "Especially after everything you've done."
"What we've done?!" Ratchet yelled back in indignation. "You've been trying to kill us since the day we met, and for a freaking pizza party of all things!"
"That was just plain business, until you made it personal," Bling growled out with an undercurrent of barely suppressed rage. Ignoring the lombax entirely in favour of pointing his mech-scaled rifle at the group. "You hurt my brother and humiliated us both! You killed our dear, sweet cousin Annie."
Ellen's eyes widened in realisation. 'Wait, does he mean who I think he means?.'
"And now we're gonna get even, by finishing the job we started way back on Boldan," Boom continued his brother's spiel with a sense of finality. His mech's shoulder mounted cannons audibly loading as he braced to fire. "Any last words before we turn you into paste?"
"Yeah, I've got a few," Ratchet answered while keeping a firm grip on Ellen's arm. Her questioning gaze answered by twitching ears and a flick of his eyes towards the sky, to which she nodded slightly and prepared to follow his lead. "Hit the deck!"
And then the world exploded all around them.
I had hoped to wrap things up in this chapter but kind of got carried away again; meaning yet another cliffhanger this week. Although on the plus side, that does mean I can dedicate the entire next chapter to what promises to be one hell of a showdown. See you then!
Review replies:
Starrat - Thanks again!
GamerHeart - Much as I appreciate the suggestions, I'm afraid I've already got the rest of this story and a good portion of the next already planned out. Even if I decided for him to survive the coming fight, I really can't see Logan telling our heroes where to go next other than hell given how much he hates them right now. As for the inevitable sequel, having the Biobliterator attack Earth would be a stretch at best given that Nefarious would have to transport it to another galaxy altogether in order to do so and doesn't fit with what I want to achieve. Thank you anyway though, and by all means continue to offer suggestions should you wish. I'll always appreciate them.
SAK-96 - After all the crap they've been through so far, I'm going to go with 'very'…
bajy - Glad you like it, and hopefully the next ones too with how I intend to end Act 2.
Light Seeker 001 - Why yes, yes he is, and with good reason too. That's a decent idea for the Courtney Gears showdown as well , and an argument I can definitely see her using to justify backing Nefarious' scheme. Should make for a much more interesting battle at any rate, and Ellen will likely find his unfortunate breakdowns at the most inopportune moments both surprising and amusing in equal measure.
Snow Wolf Alpha - Thank you! As for your question, I do indeed intend for Ellen to be part of the Secret Agent Clank HV series and intend to have her in a supporting role. I'm thinking more along the lines of another agent who pops up to assist Agent Clank in various episodes, though I'm not entirely sure yet. I also suspect Ellen might have a few choice words for Ratchet about that particular scene as well, along with a very disproving look. Though since she will have known him so well by that point, she might suspect he means the games console too.
Firestar5277 - Thanks! If I've got you on the edge of your seat then I must be doing something right at least, and things are only going to heat up further still in the coming chapters. I just hope I can continue to keep to keep up the pace in terms of my update schedule; the current chapter having taken a lot longer to put together than anticipated and put me behind a bit. Just means I'll have to work a little faster is all, or otherwise risk delaying posting.
No puns for me this week I'm afraid, too tired to come up with something original, although you might be pleased to know that I've begun tentatively pencilling out a Sheepinator-centric omake which I'm calling… 'Meet the Flockers'. Thought it might raise a smile, and be a much lighter counterpart to the slight creepiness of a potential yandere Samus short. It'll be interesting to see if your theory on Ace pans out too, although the big reveal is still a fair while off yet I'm afraid, so you'll just have to wait and see.
Thanks again for reviewing, and hope you enjoy the new chapter.
The White Guardian - You know, I wondered why my review counter suddenly skyrocketed, right up until I saw your name. Welcome back, and glad you enjoyed the last half dozen or so chapter you managed to catch up on.
I guess you could say Ellen wasn't taking shit from anyone during the prison break arc, although she certainly wasn't above distributing it. Perhaps a bit more literally in this case, but then again her plan did kind of end up escalating way beyond any of her wildest expectations. Quickly getting to the point where your amusingly appropriate proverb rings very true; thanks for sharing that by the way. To be fair though, given Ratchet's tenuous grip on flying during that particular cutscene, I suspect Clank may have opted to switch off his fear response emotional subroutines long before they got even remotely close to Novalis. Something his companions likely wish they could have done themselves at the time, given the whole 'ship breaking up on re-entry' thing.
Gorn was essentially a five minute filler in game and an excuse for another Star Explorer dogfight level; something I wanted to make much more interesting, and an actual challenge for the heroes in my interpretation of events. Plus it felt like a really good place for Ace to make his grand reappearance and shake things up further still with a surprise boss battle. While Snivelak is kind of the polar opposite, I sill wanted to make things tougher for what amounts to the thugs' final stand, and have striven to ensure that our heroes have their hands full from the get go. Pushing them to the brink of survival, and building up to what promises to be one hell of a final confrontation with Logan (who does in fact have sleeves). One that hopefully won't revolve entirely around a slow, plodding, and heavily scripted boss fight that seems to take an age to actually finish.
Given what you have to treat it like it's made of glass even on a good day, I'm surprised but hopeful to hear you're having another crack at LBP3. Especially given what you've already achieved in Unity with likely a fraction of the associated stress, even if a part of me is still itching to see your level pack in a playable state.
I only played a few rounds of the Overwatch Uprising event, and while I didn't get very far, loved every minute while it lasted. Seriously, why can't stuff like this be permanent? Hell, why isn't it the cornerstone of a proper story mode? Surely it wouldn't be that difficult for Blizzard to string together a small campaign with gameplay like this; exploring the past actions of various characters and their histories with one another. Also, God yes! Terry for Doomfist! Although I guess we won't know until the next major update hits, which may be sooner than not if you're right about timing for the anniversary. Here's a-hoping!
Razor of DOOM - Glad to have you back! Although you may have to wait a little longer for the much vaunted giant mech boss battle given all the content I crammed in this chapter.
Xcantax - Thank you very much. Hopefully this one won't disappoint.
Kingdom Hearts Slayer - Oh believe me, I intend to.
Sonachugirl - Aw, I'm sure she'd appreciate it, and probably get a little flustered at the attention too given how shy Samus can be. Glad you enjoyed the brief battle too, and I would definitely say that the upcoming boss fight is going to be big in more ways than one. Hopefully enough to be a fitting end to this story's second act, and with perhaps a few twists that you may not see coming.
Ah, good old Resi 5... I can still remember ploughing my way through the PS3 Gold Edition with my little brother. Lost in Nightmares being a particular standout and nostalgia trip, with all of the references to the original game plus an emphasis on working together to overcome obstacles, rather than simply shooting your way out of trouble. Even with online gaming these days, nothing quite beats actually playing split screen competitive or co-op together with someone physically by your side, along with all the resulting triumphs and arguments.
…and now you've got me wanting to play Resi 5 again. I wonder if I can coax my bro into playing co-op again? We still need to clean up on trophies after all…
DarkEnigma95 - Glad you liked it, and I'm guessing that the boss fight was what made this level so damn difficult for you given how ludicrously tedious it is. It certainly was for me, and frustrating as hell when forced to start all over after having finally whittled the mech down to a slither of health, only to suddenly die. Cue the rage.
Versa-Targets are versatile, and exceptionally convenient, but then again that's game logic for you. Plus I'm too lazy to think of an alternate explanation as to why it's only usable in certain areas unlike Ellen's Grapple Gun. Tank-jacking was kind of a spontaneous idea, but one I dearly wish Insomniac could have worked into the reboot in some small way; such as taking over the turret of one in the Deplanetizer's tank hanger. As was Samus' Visibomb Gun Scene, coming from a need to make her useful rather than just a bystander, and I think it worked out pretty well all thoughts considered.
Thanks again for reviewing, and hope you enjoy the new chapter too.
Until next time, please review and check out my other stories once they're posted and/or updated.
Thanks for reading
- RevenantReaper337