Author's note:
I did it… I finally finished this damn arc, and literally just in time too. I can't tell you how glad I am to finally put Snivelak behind me and forge ahead with the story, specifically after running myself ragged at stupid hours all week long in order to get it finished. But hopefully the end result will have been worth it and a fitting end to the second Act, even if it overran a fair bit and still feels like there's something missing… Ah well, let's get on with it, shall we?
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 41:
King's Fall
Thugs-4-Less Headquarters, Snivelak
Bogon Galaxy
G2.17.085 Galactic calendar
7:09pm local time
"More of them! On your right!"
Ratchet promptly swung their commandeered turret around at Ellen's shouted warning, pointing it towards a fresh batch of those flying drones that Logan seemed to keep spamming their way without even bothering to lift his finger from the trigger. A few good bursts of flak each quickly made short work of them in ones or twos, but the sheer numbers closing in from all sides meant that he simply couldn't keep track of them all before a hail of plasma descended upon their exposed position from above. Ellen doing her best to cover his rear with the last few salvos of her HK22 Gun while also trying to keep tabs on Buddy Boom at the same time, but it was quickly proving to be a losing battle.
These flak cannon towers, along with their much smaller cousins dotted around the inner fortress in a wide area, were so far proving to be the only real method of causing damage to the otherwise unstoppable Behemoth. The high explosive, armour-piercing airburst rounds originally intended to shred high flying aircraft and ships making atmospheric entry, but also proving to have a noticeable impact upon the super dense alloy armour which made up the skyscraper-sized mech's frame. Not enough to do much more than take off the first few layers perhaps, but nevertheless giving Logan enough grief to make him retreat to a safe distance and bombard them from afar, while his sole remaining lieutenant ceaseless attacked them at close range.
The only real saving grace was that neither seemed to have considered calling in additional forces to overwhelm them. Though whether that was due to consideration for their men or some misguided sense of pride was anyone's guess and ultimately irrelevant so far as the two commandos were concerned, just so long as they stayed the hell away. Ellen smoothly holstering her weapon as it ran dry and switching over to her sniper rifle, only to pause as the Behemoth suddenly ceased bombardment and slowly began to rise at a glacial pace on concealed leg-mounted thrusters. Eyes widening in realisation once it tipped forward at a slight angle before rocketing towards them fist first, and frantically yanking the flak cannon's crew hatch open.
"Heads up, morons!" Logan's voice boomed out. "Time for a little redecoration!"
"Ratchet!"
"I know! Let's bail!"
Scrambling out of the soon to be doomed turret, the lombax grabbed hold of her outstretched arm and together they raced towards the raised platform's edge. Ellen wrapping her arms around him tightly and pushing off in sync not two seconds before the colossal machine barrelled through their tower like a runaway freight train; utterly obliterating it and sending chunks of debris flying in all directions, while still carving a path of destruction through many of the buildings beyond in an attempt to slow down. The pair only surviving through taxing her Jump Pack's thrusters to their limit and slowing their fall enough to make a controlled crash landing on the rubble strewn streets below.
Right where Buddy Boom was apparently lying in wait for them. His remaining arm-mounted launcher pumping out a steady stream of bouncing grenades between cannon salvos and not giving either commando a second of respite as he doggedly pursued them through what was left of the inner fortress with fanatical zeal. An incoherent snarl of frustration and rage echoing forth from the Titan's external speakers at his inability to directly hit them with more than just shrapnel. "DAMN IT, LOMBAX! JUST HOLD STILL AND DIE!"
"How much longer... do you think... we can keep this up?" Ellen managed to pant out between breaths as they dared down yet another nigh identical alleyway. Boom doing his best to flush them out with a torrent of explosives and damn near collapsing the surrounding walls on top of them in the process.
"As long as we have to," Ratchet replied with a grimace and growing sense of fatigue. Their gruelling battle throughout the fortress having taken its toll on even his seemingly endless stamina and leaving the lombax flagging alongside her. "We just gotta keep 'em busy and in one place until the others can- Hey, you hear that?"
By now they had emerged on to another street the next block over and were currently trying to shake off Boom long enough to gain some breathing room. The by now familiar thundering of distant artillery reaching Ellen's ears but a few moments later and causing her to step up the pace as they changed course towards a nearby alleyway. "Yeah, and I don't think it's for our benefit. Shit!"
The first few shells crashed down less than thirty feet away and began to leapfrog one another in a rapid chain of roaring explosions that once again knocked them flat through proximity alone. Neither commando able to do much more than huddle together and tough it out, praying the next hit wouldn't their last. Hearts pounding in fear and helplessness at the prospect of being blown to pieces by a foe they couldn't even see or perhaps worse, buried under countless tons of rubble and left for dead.
After what felt like hours but was probably only a matter of minutes at best, the withering barrage finally tapered off and an eerie silence descended upon the devastated buildings surrounding their miraculously intact shelter. The artillery apparently having concentrated upon blanketing the widest possible area as opposed to entire blocks at a time, and thankfully missing the alleyway altogether. Although it was small comfort for Ratchet and Ellen as they supported one another in staggering back to their feet, heads thumping and ears ringing all the while in a way that was quickly getting old very fast.
"Alright, that does it," Ratchet growled out before gently pushing off Ellen's arm and stalking his way out of the alley. "No more playing around!"
"Ratchet? Hey! Where are you going?"
Pausing in mid-stride, he turned around to face her with a determined yet thoughtful look; his eyes softening at the undisguised worry in her own. "We're not getting anywhere fast the way things are, and there's no telling how long it'll take for the others to get control of that artillery. Until then, I figure we're better off splitting up and harassing those mechs on our own with whatever we've got. Maybe see if you can find another flak cannon to keep Logan busy."
"And what, exactly, will you be doing in the meantime?" Ellen asked with a slight narrowing of her eyes. "It's something stupid, isn't it? I know that look all too well."
Ratchet didn't even bother to conceal his growing smirk as he chuckled aloud. "What else? Finding me a bigger gun, and I know just where to look..."
{()}
"About bloody time," Cash muttered under his breath. Eyes fixated upon the three gun battery not twenty yards away and drinking in every detail, while mentally mapping out the attendant mercenaries' positions for maximum effect.
Getting into position had taken way too long for his liking; having to take another detour around some annoyingly vigilant sentries and quietly slitting the throat of another who had gotten far too inquisitive for his own good. But doing so against the kind of numbers they would be facing was the smart thing to do, and ultimately worth it seeing as his charges didn't exactly look like they were built to fight, even if the little silver one said otherwise.
Which meant getting this right the first time and not giving the other side a fighting chance if he could help it, with a parting gift from before he was separated from Angela being key to his ad hoc plan. The somewhat crude-looking silver orb clenched in one hand giving off a slightly pulsing, reddish hue, while the other held his Road Warrior in a vice-like grip. Each of the break-action shotgun's individual barrels now fully loaded with a specially modified Nanoclip of dubious legality and ridiculous firepower, courtesy of one Slim Cognito. All he had to do was pick the right moment to strike, and with the battery crews otherwise busy attending to each gun's auto-loader units while others looked on with bored indifference, now was that time.
Pulling the pin while simultaneously springing up from his crouched position, Cash let the homebrew grenade fly on an almost flat trajectory towards the largest cluster of mercs before racing out of cover and blasting an unfortunate nearby sentry in the chest. The thug's shouted warning dying on his lips as an armour-piercing tungsten core slug punched cleanly through his armour, even as the booming report of Cash's shotgun roused the rest into action. None seeming to notice the trail of particles spreading out amongst them from the now empty canister's wake until a burst of superheated plasma fire passed through the fine cloud, and by then it was already far too late.
The fine grains of powdered magnesium which had seeded the air instantly ignited in an overwhelmingly bright flash of ultraviolet light that engulfed the surrounding area, blinding anyone without eye protection and leaving spots in cash's vision despite his ever present sunglasses filtering out the worst effects. The others present however were nowhere near as lucky; most now either stumbling around or otherwise howling and writhing on the floor while clawing at their faces, making them an all too easy target for him to finish off with the remaining slug and incendiary rounds originally intended to ignite the grenade's contents.
Stepping away from the smouldering bodies with a grimace, Cash was quickly forced to duck behind a short stack of ammo crates as the surviving gun crew opened up on him in earnest. Some no doubt calling for back up by now while the rest sprayed plasma in his general direction, heedless of the dangers presented by striking so much as one exposed artillery shell and potentially setting off the rest. Which meant he had to end this now, and with a fresh reload of standard Nanoclips slotted into place, Cash snapped the shotgun closed with one hand and drew his machete with the other before charging forth to meet them in kind.
A wide spread of buckshot caught one in the face and blew him back over the auto-loader unit he had been stood in front of, forcing the others to seek cover and allowing him to rapidly close the distance within a matter of seconds. Jinking away as another merc blindly fired over the top of a metal crate, Cash quickly flanked around the side and sliced off his rifle's barrel before reversing grip on the Bushwhacker and ramming it home beneath the surprised man's armoured chest piece. A painful jolt of movement soon putting the unfortunate thug between Cash and the last one still standing, with his impromptu meat shield absorbing a torrent of plasma, before kicking the still twitching body off of his blade and responding in kind with a double dose of buckshot.
Checking to make sure that the immediate area really was clear and that none of the mercs were liable to get back up or otherwise playing dead, Cash gave a low whistle and beckoning gesture towards where the other two members of their little infiltration team had concealed themselves in the same alleyway formed between storage sheds that he had been hiding within. A pair of curious green and blue optics briefly peeked out at him from behind a supply crate, before Clank and Samus broke cover and rapidly made their way over to the cazar's side. Another full load of Nanoclips soon replacing those already ejected from his shotgun's exposed breech as he continued to scan for any sign of approaching hostiles, before snapping it shut with a final decisive click.
"Alright you two, let's get to work." A sudden shout and heavy footsteps quickly had him pivoting towards a freshly arrived squad of mercs and firing one-handed, before yelling over his shoulder as he charged forth to meet them. "Get those guns working! I'll try and stall 'em for as long as I can!"
"Understood," Clank replied with a swift bob of his head, before turning towards the infobot currently glued to his side. "Come, Samus. We have much to do and very little time."
Which was easier said than done considering each artillery piece normally had a three man crew in order to operate, even with the auto-loader units taking up some of the grunt work. Not to mention attempting to coordinate both targeting solutions and the simultaneous firing of an entire battery at once was difficult enough for two entirely untrained individuals, let alone while under constant fire. But having faced similar pressure in previous situations, Clank was quick to take charge and boost himself up to the closest gun's associated console before letting his servos dance over the holographic screen. A fretful Samus hovering alongside him until directed towards the next one along, eagerly prepared to receive his instructions so they could wrap this up swiftly.
"There should be a drop down menu on your right labelled 'munitions load'," he intoned while ducking slightly as a stray ball of plasma splashed off the gun barrel beside him. An answering reply from Cash's shotgun ensuring there wouldn't be a second. "Push it and select the fourth entry down, followed by the confirmation button at the bottom of your screen."
Okay... I think I've got it._ Samus hesitantly replied while prodding at the blinking green 'confirm' icon. The auto-loader unit behind her thrumming to life much like the one on Clank's side and switching out the designated payload for something that would hopefully prove a little more effective against Behemoth's thickly armoured hide. Now what?_
Clank gave her a slight smile and nod of approval which would have made Samus feel a little giddy had she not been more concerned with the increased amount of gunfire heading their way. "Good, now do the same on the third console. The auto-loaders should take care of the rest while we re-establish contact with the others and calculate the optimum firing solution."
"Well whatever you're doing, you'd better do it quick!" Cash shouted back over his shoulder from where he was reloading his shotgun behind a stack of crates some twenty odd feet away. His cover rapidly being chewed to bits by an increasing number of thugs as even more tried to outflank him, only to receive a fresh spread of buckshot for their troubles or a precisely wielded machete. "'Cos there's a lot more of them than me, and I'm running out of ammo fast."
"We are doing the best we can, Mr Harding," Clank reassured him as the first shells rolled off of the auto-loaders' connected conveyor belts, before automatically chambering themselves inside each gun's expansive breech in multiples of three. "Estimated time until battery fire commences is approximately two minutes."
He could only hope that it would be enough to see the job through, and that their intervention in the distant, ongoing battle against Logan would not come too late. For the very lives of his friends, and dare he say family in all but name were at stake, and Clank had no intentions of letting them down.
{()}
"Damn it, fuzz ball, where the hell are you?" Ellen muttered to herself as she bounced her way to the top of yet another soon to be demolished flak tower via jump pad. Taking over the turret stationed there and swinging it around to hammer at Logan in an increasingly desperate attempt to cause any lasting damage to his towering machine, all while keeping an eye out for a still murderously rampaging Buddy boom trying to blindside her from who knew where.
Even though it had only been but a matter of minutes since Ratchet had taken off to find whatever it was that he was looking for, to Ellen it felt like hours had dragged by. Logan's relentless assault leaving her no room to breathe as he continually stalked her from tower to tower at a slow, almost methodical pace. One designed to provoke fear and an air of invulnerability as heavy flak bursts constantly pounded at his gigantic battle mech with little apparent effect, before wiping the latest tower to be occupied from existence with either laser cannon or just plain brute force. Whittling down Ellen's dwindling options further still and forcing her to once more flee at the very last second lest she go down with it too, with Logan right on her tail and gloating all the while.
"That's it, keep runnin' punk! You'll just die tired! Where's your lombax friend now, huh?"
She hit the ground running, just barely managing to avoid being crushed by one of the Behemoth's enormous feet as it stomped after her while its laser cannon arm charged for another shot. One that could easily erase her from existence through proximity to the beam alone, and there was no way in hell her tired body could manage to out run the battle mech's incredibly long strides, which is why she decided to reverse direction instead. Darting beneath the Behemoth's bulk and between its legs, before making best speed out the other side as Logan slowly turned around in an attempt to reacquire her.
By the time he could find her once again, Ellen was already a good half a block away and pelting her way towards one of the few flak towers still left standing. Logan grinning viciously as he brought the mech's cannon arm to bear on her fleeing form, finger gently squeezing the trigger with savoured anticipation as the ominous growing hum of power reached its climax. Only for his rhetorical question to be answered by a high velocity slug suddenly impacting his cannon arm from an unexpected source, knocking it aside and leaving the resulting laser beam to carve a path of destruction through several nearby buildings instead.
"Right here, Logan!" Ratchet's enhanced voice declared over what sounded like a set of external speakers buzzing with static, before continuing with a sly tone. "Why, did ya miss me?"
Ellen's eyes widened as she caught sight of him over her shoulder, before openly laughing with relieved joy upon realising just what he had meant previously before splitting up. For the now grinning lombax was currently standing atop a three storey building while strapped into the battered, open air cockpit of Buddy Bling's downed mech. The handheld railgun still pointed Logan's way and gradually charging for another shot while the bent wings upon its back were seemingly tasked with helping to brace the damaged mech when firing. With the other ensuring a projected shield was constantly at the ready to deflect any incoming attacks, and especially away from the vulnerable pilot.
'Well, that's definitely a 'bigger gun' alright, and hopefully enough to level the playing field just a little.'
Which was just as well really since Logan's response was to lash out with a snarl of rage and try to crush the lombax with a sweeping kick. Ratchet quickly jinking sideways with a burst of jump jets and once again winging the behemoth's laser cannon arm with his railgun, only to be tackled out of the air by a vaguely green blur of metal that sent them both crashing down to earth. Ellen using the brief distraction to reach the jump pad at a nearby tower's base, before taking over the flak cannon up top and turning it around to face the ensuing melee taking place less than a block away.
"Have you no respect, lombax?!" Buddy Boom demanded as his Titan's metal fists slammed into the captured mech one after the other. Ratchet managing to block one blow with his shield while the other hit home hard enough to make his teeth rattle. "That was my brother's mech! What did you do with his body! Answer me!"
Ratchet however was far too busy trying to weather the constant rain of punches and find an opportunity to counterattack in order to reply. Letting the shield bear the brunt of a wild haymaker that caused it to flash orange, before swinging his railgun around in an arc that smashed the extensive barrel over Boom's cockpit canopy and jetting back to gain some distance while he was still reeling.
"Well, it didn't look like he needed it anymore, so I figured I'd put it to better use," he Responded nonchalantly while internally willing the mech-scaled rifle to charge faster. That last blow having caused a series of electrical impulses to run along its scuffed and dented length in jagged patterns and making him wonder if it was damaged enough to cause an explosive misfire. "Kind of had to leave your brother behind though. I mean, I didn't exactly want to end up sharing the same seat with a dead guy and all."
"Bastard! I'm gonna rip you limb form limb!"
Suffice to say, Boom wasn't exactly in the mood for witty conversation or anything else other than blind, murderous rage right now, regardless of how Ratchet may have answered. His Titan surging forth and taking a disabling railgun hit to one of his shoulder cannons, before slamming into the lombax with a jump jet assisted shoulder tackle that knocked his rifle away and sent them both skidding back dozens of feet. Ratchet's shield finally collapsing under the strain and leaving his open cockpit exposed as the two machines proceeded to duke it out in a brutal ballet of clawed fists, jet propelled kicks, and no holds barred brawling.
While they were tearing into one another and what buildings still stood around them however, Ellen was otherwise occupied with trying to keep Logan busy. Or at least concentrating on her rather than tag teaming Ratchet at any rate, with a steady stream of flak bursts exploding around the Behemoth's head and goading it into launching more of those floating weapon pods her way. Logan waiting until she was fully occupied with fending off the seemingly endless swarm of drones before taking the opportunity to step over the two much smaller mechs battling beneath him and advancing on the redhead's position.
"Y'know, my ex-wife always said I had a short temper when things didn't go my way," Logan mused aloud with a dark chuckle. The Behemoth's laser cannon arm charging and hulking metal fist flexing in anticipation with each step closer he took. "Now you get to find out why."
Ellen could easily see him coming through gaps in the dwindling number of machines still orbiting her position, but couldn't afford to abandon the tower just yet despite the shiver of fear running down her spine. Ratchet was having a tough enough time as is, while the others were depending on her to keep Logan in one place so that they could accurately dial in the artillery for maximum effect. Or at least that is if they were captured as planned, and Clank could figure out a way to operate the entire battery by themselves without getting overrun in the process. The fact she hadn't heard so much as a word from him, Cash, or Samus only adding to Ellen's growing sense of dread that something had gone terribly wrong.
Which was why a warm sense of relief washed over her as Clank's familiar voice sounded through her helmet's internal speakers with a brief squelch of static. Ignoring the background staccato bursts of gunfire and booming blasts in favour of listening to his calming tone. "Ellen, can you hear me? We have successfully taken command of the artillery firebase and are currently reloading the guns with appropriate ammunition. We should be ready to provide support fire in less than a minute, but I do not know how much longer Mr Harding can keep the encroaching Thugs-4-less forces at bay. If you have not already done so, I strongly suggest placing your beacon immediately."
"I'm Working on it," she ground out between pounding away at the last few weapon pods still airborne, "but Logan isn't exactly making things easy!"
Nor was he very far away, having easily covered the distance between them in but a handful of strides and pointing his fully charged laser cannon arm at her turret from less than thirty feet away. The audibly building whine having reached a crescendo and prompting Ellen to abandon both flak gun and tower with a flying leap, hurtling over the edge scant seconds before the entire structure's top half was reduced to little more than ashes and fine debris. A massive wrecking ball of a fist demolishing what was left shortly thereafter, while the outer layers of Ellen's armour were slightly warped from proximity alone as the resulting wave of heat washed over her rapidly plummeting form.
Thankfully the commando suit's temperature regulation system was still working fine and preventing her skin from following suit, plus Logan didn't seem to have noticed her survival just yet. Ellen landing back on solid ground with the aid of her Jump Pack and a jarring thump on impact, before forcing herself to stagger upright into a loping run towards Logan's towering battle mech. A gloved hand fumbling for her utility belt and palming the solitary tracking beacon contained within as one of the hulking mass of metal slowly began to turn around on the spot, followed by hurling the small silvery disc at one of the machine's proportionately gigantic legs as it came crashing down in front of her with an earthshaking thud.
"Hey, where'd she go?"
Hitting such a large target at close range was a lot less challenging than ensuring she wasn't squashed underfoot in the process, but the results were well worth the risk. A brief glimpse at the appropriate tracking programme on her Wrist Com confirming that the beacon was still magnetically secured in place and transmitting a steady signal, before Ellen raised Clank on the radio once more. Skidding around the corner of another ruined street and making best speed in the opposite direction to where the Behemoth was currently searching for her, while feverishly hoping that Cash's questionably sane plan went off without a hitch.
"Alright, the beacon's set! You should be picking up the signal any second now."
{()}
"One moment..." Clank trailed off while slightly cocking his helm to one side. The antennae atop his helm pulsing at regular intervals as he tried to pick out the beacon's unique shortwave signature from amongst a congested mess of radio chatter from mercenary forces all over the fortress.
It was here however that Samus' status as a converted infobot and the abilities of her frame type came in handy once again. More specifically, the feature that was originally used by infobot owners to pick up, view and record HV shows being broadcast from half a galaxy away, and which she was now putting to much better use. Rapidly isolating each local signal she intercepted and analysing them in the blink of an eye, before just as quickly moving on to the next one in line until she stumbled across what they were looking for.
I've got it!_ she exclaimed while letting her dainty servos dance over the screen before her in a concentrated blur. Real-time coordinates coming through strong and moving south-west at a constant spee- eep!._
Despite not having a vocaliser, an audible squeak of surprise escaped Samus as a stray burst of plasma splashed against the console she was working on. Partially melting through the outer casing and causing the projected screen to flicker, while she dropped to the floor in a panicked flurry of limbs and flaring thrusters in order to avoid the follow up volley. One that didn't last long once Cash sliced through the offending gunman's weapon and dropped him with a point blank shotgun blast before moving on to the next merc in line, but the fact he had gotten close enough to shoot at all was telling enough that they were in danger of being overrun all too soon. Something Cash was quick to point out as he frantically reloaded in preparation for the next wave of attackers.
"I can't hold them off for much longer on me own. Whatever ya gonna do, better make it fast before they bring in the heavies."
Having quickly dropped down from his seat in order to coming to her aid, Clank acknowledged the cazar's suggestion with a curt nod as he helped Samus back to her metaphorical feet before giving her his entire focus. "Are you alright, Samus?"
Um... y-yes? I-I think so anyway._
He smiled at her timid nod in spite of the situation, finding it and her shy expression rather endearing for reasons he could not fathom. "Thank goodness. Now come, we must initiate the artillery firing sequence before it is too late."
R-right!_ After all, the last thing she wanted to do was let down her newfound companions. Least of all the girl who had taken her in as an equal, or the robot she loved and whom was relying so heavily upon her right now for their continued survival. Let's finish up and get out of here._
Ignoring Cash's grousing of 'too bloody right' from where he was hunkered down behind some crates not thirty yards away, Clank instead retook his station in tandem with Samus and rapidly began to type alongside her. The battery's guns altering their firing angle accordingly at a ponderously slow rate as soon as the last shells were safely secured in their respective breech, while Clank sought to re-establish contact with his worryingly quiet absent companions.
"Ratchet, Ellen, please come in..."
{()}
A clawed metal fist smashed into the side of Ratchet's exposed cockpit, further denting the already scarred metal on impact and violently jolting him to one side. The safety harness biting deeply into his shoulders being the only reason he wasn't thrown clear altogether, and otherwise keeping him secured to the mech's pilot seat in spite of the bone juddering blow. A deft flick of the controls allowing the lombax to neatly sidestep the expected follow up attack and swiftly counter with a wide right hook before taking the offensive once more.
The last few minutes had been nothing but a blur of heavy metal and punishing strikes as an enraged Buddy Boom and himself sought to take one another down for good. The Merc's customised Titan seeming to have a lot more raw power than Ratchet's stolen machine in spite of being based off the same model, and clearly superior in close combat than it's lighter, flight capable cousin. But most of that potential was largely being wasted in his reckless and increasingly predictable berserker style attacks, which Ratchet didn't hesitate to exploit at every opportunity. Targeting exposed joints or any other perceived weak point with a flurry of clawed jabs before darting back out of range once more, while constantly drawing Boom into what would soon become an artillery killzone.
Or at least that is if Cash's idea actually worked, otherwise this whole day got a whole lot harder. Ratchet's thoughts briefly turning towards how Ellen was faring on her end when Clank's voice sounded in his ear on their shared open channel. "Ratchet, Ellen, please come in. The captured artillery is almost in position and ready to fire once the targets are in position."
Ratchet grinned from ear to ear at the news, even with Boom bearing down on him with a feral snarl. A projected hard light shield tanking the thug lieutenant's charge and sending them both skidding back in a shower of sparks, before ploughing through the remains of an already wrecked building. The resulting cloud of dust and debris obscuring both of their vision and allowing Ratchet to retreat back to a nearby rooftop with a burst of his jump jets as he answered with no small hint of relief. "I hear ya, pal. Hey Ellen, you get that?"
"Yeah, I did, and not before time, too," she replied with a strained tone between ragged breaths. "I'm leading Logan right towards the central most tower, the one that's still standing by the citadel tower. Bring your friend along and we'll meet somewhere in the middle."
"Then we drop the hammer on these guys once and for all," the lombax finished with a smirk as he saw Buddy Boom emerging from the dust storm they had kicked up while turning this way and that in frustration. Obviously searching for his presence, but clearly not looking up until Ratchet whistled aloud through what was left of the mech's external speakers. "Hey, up here! Bet ya can't catch me; just like you couldn't catch your brother."
A wordless howl of rage was his immediate answer, and Ratchet immediately boosted away before the rooftop he had been perched on was spectacularly blown to pieces. Feeling kind of bad about pulling such a low blow against someone who was so obviously grieving the loss of someone close, but unable to deny just how effective it was at getting Boom to chase after him like a rabid dog. The pair springing from point to ruined point across the war torn inner compound, with Ratchet just barely managing to stay ahead of the rampaging juggernaut right on his tail in spite of having a decent head start and much lighter framed mech.
It was perhaps inevitable then that his dwindling luck would run out sooner than not. A sudden explosion slamming into his already severely damaged machine from behind while in midair and shearing off what was left of its torn wings, before sending them both crashing into the ground with enough force to shatter the roadway beneath. The Titan tumbling end over end on impact and only coming to a halt once it slammed against the front of a nearby building in a slumped heap, leaving a groaning and incoherent lombax slumped within the confines of his harness.
The very last place he wanted to be considering Buddy Boom had landed not twenty feet in front of him with an earthshaking thud and was now slowly stalking closer by the second. The battle mech's remaining shoulder cannon having finishing its reload cycle and now pointing squarely at Ratchet's exposed position, while Boom's glaring visage gradually became clearer with each deliberate stride as the lombax began to regain his senses.
"End of the line runt, and with nowhere else to go," Boom growled out once his Titan came to a halt scant yards away from the other mech's slumped form. Overshadowing both it and the trapped pilot, who was discretely trying to release the harness holding him in place until the a cavernous cannon muzzle convinced him otherwise. "Don't even think about, fur bag. No more tricks, and no getting away from this or me. It's about high time you got what's comin' to you."
"Guess you like having a captive audience, huh?" Ratchet quipped dryly. Hoping that he could stall the obviously murderous mercenary long enough to find a way out of this mess, or maybe even for backup to arrive given Ellen was supposed to be meeting up with him nearby. Speaking of which, where was she anyhow?
"Shut it, lombax!" Boom snarled as he took another stomping step forth, his voice coloured with barely constrained violence. "Our beef with you was strictly professional, but you... You just had to make this personal."
"And the whole 'trying to kill us with giant mechs' thing isn't?" the lombax questioned not unreasonably. The Wrist Com on his arm brushing up against the cockpit's side as he shifted around and not so coincidentally nudging the right spots to automatically reopen the team's shared radio channel as he continued. "I mean, don't get me wrong, but all that and the artillery too? Just for me and my girl? Y'know, I'm actually kinda flattered."
There was a momentary pause in which the customised Titan stared him down, neither side saying a single word, before it slowly began to crouch down to Ratchet's level. The almost entirely shattered canopy opening with a hiss and folding back on itself once the cockpit was roughly level with Ratchet's own, exposing the cold fury in Buddy Boom's eyes as he glared directly at the one being he hated more than any other in the entire galaxy. "I don't care what you think, lombax. You killed my brother, killed our cousin, and now... I'm gonna kill you. I just wanted to look you in the eye before I finished the job."
"Ratchet, if you can hear me, I'm almost with you," Ellen's slightly tinny and out of breath voice sounded in his ear shortly thereafter, much to his relief. "Just keep Boom busy a little longer until I can lead Logan there, so we can take them both out in one go."
Sure enough, Ratchet could easily hear and feel the earthshaking steps growing closer by the second from somewhere just off to his right, but couldn't verbally acknowledge his partner without giving himself away. Leaving him little choice but to continue pushing Boom's buttons and encourage him to partake in the whole 'triumphant villain speech' schtick long enough for Ellen to take a shot, or whatever it was that she planned to do. "Figured you'd want to face me one on one. No mechs, no weapons, just you and me. Winner takes all."
Boom snorted as his mech stood back up to its full height and took a step back to better brace himself, the shoulder cannon never wavering from his target in the slightest. "Why bother when I've got you right where I want you?" he rhetorically asked. Fingers poised to squeeze their respective triggers while an almost maniacal grin spread across his face. "So, any last words before I plaster you across the walls?"
It was at that moment a flicker of movement from behind the looming mech caught Ratchet's eye; a wry smirk tugging at his lips as he held the suddenly wary merc's gaze. "Yeah... You might wanna look behind you."
Buddy Boom glared at the lombax with narrowed eyes. "Like I'm gonna fall for th-"
Anything else he had to say was quickly cut off as an explosion suddenly rocked his mech from behind. Boom instinctively stabbing the control sticks' triggers, only to waste his shot as the resulting jolt forward threw off his aim; the shell harmlessly skimming past the building his target was slumped up against and detonating somewhere off in the distance out of sight. The snarling mercenary soon pivoting around on the spot and spotting the culprit running towards him with ragged breaths and a HK22 Gun hefted in both hands, while Logan's Behemoth crashed through the collapsed ruins behind her in close pursuit.
"Get back here, you little bitch!"
"Shoulda listened," Ratchet murmured to himself, before snapping into action now that Boom was thoroughly distracted by Ellen. The redhead circling him in a zigzagging, serpentine pattern and loosing off the occasional missile, while Logan seemed to be manoeuvring himself to take a shot at her "Clank, you still there? We're not gonna get a better opportunity than this; drop everything you've got on top of Logan's position, right now."
"But you are still within the projected bombardment zone!" Clank protested. "There is no conceivable way for you or Ellen to escape the effective blast radius in time if we were to fire now!"
"Trust me, I've got it covered." 'I hope', he mentally added. "Besides, you guys are probably up to your eyeballs in thugs right about now. Any longer and we might not have any guns at all."
"Too bloody right, I'm barely holding on as is!" Cash yelled over the background cacophony of intensive fighting. "If you lot are gonna do something, it's now or never!"
"I..." Clank began hesitantly, only to sigh in resignation. "Very well. The ballistics have already been calculated and the guns are tracking Logan's current location within acceptable parameters. Samus and I will set the entire battery to automatically fire within the next thirty seconds while we conduct a retreat. I only hope you know what you are doing."
'Me too, pal...' he thought as Clank signed off on his end. Quickly checking his harness was still secure and the ruined mech's cockpit was otherwise unobstructed before waving to grab Ellen's attention. "Hey babe, over here!"
The redhead rapidly changed course and darted straight at the sole remaining titan, dropping into a sliding tackle between its legs and narrowly avoiding the clawed hands swiping at her form, before continuing to sprint towards the lombax with an incredulous look upon her face. "Are you crazy?! What the hell are you thinking?!"
Ratchet rapidly shook his head, waiting until she got within a few feet of the downed Titan before stretching out an arm towards her. "No time to explain. Here, get on my lap."
"Wha-"
"Just do it!" he snapped off with a sense of urgency. One that only grew as his ears perked up at the distant muted thunder of artillery resounding through the air once more. "C'mon, hurry!"
Ellen had no idea just what the hell was going through Ratchet's mind, or how exactly he expected them to actually survive the next several seconds. But if there was one thing she did know, then it was that the lombax had a knack for getting them out of bad situations by the most unorthodox methods possible. The bonds forged between them through constant battles and shared intimacy having solidified to the point that Ellen could honestly say she trusted him with her life.
Which is why she immediately grasped his outstretched hand after but a moment of hesitation and used it haul herself up onto the wrecked mech's chassis as the whistling sound of shells streaking through the air began to grow ever closer. Allowing the lombax to pull her down so that she was sat flush against his chest with an arm wrapped tightly around her waist, while the other grasped hold of a black and yellow striped handle between their legs. Buddy Boom and Logan both having paused at the unexpected rumble of incoming artillery fire, before whirling towards the pair with weapons readied to fire, only to find Ratchet giving them a smug and disconcerting grin. The kind worn by those that know they hold all of the cards, and that you just played the wrong hand.
"Hey, Buddy," he called out as the merc charged forth with an enraged snarl. Fingers tightening on the eject handle and Ellen's rigid form as he yanked it sharply upwards, just as the first shells were about to come screaming back down to earth. "Say hello to your brother for me."
Buddy boom gave an incoherent roar of anger and frustration while his shoulder cannon fired blindly at the pair, but by then it was already far too late. For while it lacked the escape pod feature of the Titan-class mech Logan had previously used against Giant Clank a fair while back, the model formerly used by Buddy Bling had a perfectly serviceable ejector seat. One which rapidly shot towards the sky on a pillar of flame while its human and lombax passengers cried out in both fear and exhilaration. An explosion engulfing the now empty cockpit mere seconds after they had been blasted clear, and perhaps ironically helping to further propel them further upwards out of danger; leaving them with an unparalleled view as the first salvo of incoming shells finally hit home.
A near deafening rain of explosions blanketed everything in sight for at least a good city block, washing over the Behemoth's lower half and completely obscuring Buddy Boom's mech from view altogether. The much larger machine initially able to weather the ensuing storm thanks to its incredibly durable armour plating, and likely wouldn't have been affected at all if it weren't for the specialist ammunition with which Clank and Samus had loaded into the captured gun battery. The high explosive, ground penetrating artillery shells originally being designed to burrow through targeted fortifications before exploding from within for maximum damage, but proved to be just as effective at punching through the towering mech's comparatively thinner leg armour.
Most fell short of course while others skipped off the armour plating due to the firing angle, but the few that did get through caused a disproportionate amount of damage. Servos, hydraulics, and sensitive wiring were subsequently torn apart by the concentrated explosive warhead, while the internal support structure itself was weakened to the point that Behemoth could no longer effectively support its own weight. Logan's howling curses barely audible over the screech of rending metal on metal as the skyscraper-sized giant took one last step, before its increasingly unsteady legs finally gave out. The battle mech keeling over much like a felled tree and flattening several already half demolished buildings in the process, sending up a massive cloud of debris.
More pressingly however, the sheer amount of blast force generated from overlapping detonations caused Ratchet and Ellen's shared ejector seat to be tossed around and lurch off to one side in midair. The only reason she wasn't flung free in the first place being the fact he now had both arms wrapped around her waist in a vice grip, with the redhead reduced to simply hanging on to any available handhold for dear life while screaming herself hoarse all the while. Adrenaline flowing freely and heart pounding a mile a minute, even when the seat's parachute finally deployed after the built in rocket motors burnt out, and left them floating gently back towards the ground below while the ongoing bombardment reached its climax.
There was no way of telling just how much damage had been done, or whether their plan had inflicted anything near permanent enough upon the Behemoth to stop it cold. Which meant they had to be ready for anything once they touched down, including a seriously pissed off Logan trying to squash them like bugs should he get close enough. Something which prompted Ratchet's next question as he tried to steer them away from landing atop a mound of rubble, before finally touching down in a shallow crater with a rough jolt. The pair having ended up somewhere between the Behemoth's currently still form and what few recognisable pieces were left of Buddy Boom's obliterated mech, with no sign of the pilot himself or anyone else for that matter.
But of course, no one's luck lasts forever.
"Hey, Ellen?" Ratchet began with a slightly teasing tone. "Much as I enjoy the company, you mind getting off me? Only you're kinda on the heavy side."
He expected many things in response; a snort of annoyance, a barbed retort perhaps, or at least an elbow to the ribs for his jibe. But not the all pervading silence which followed. One that stretched out for long seconds as Ratchet tried to rouse her with what limited arm movement he had, only to find Ellen somewhat limp and largely unresponsive save for a faint, wet gurgling noise coming from her throat. "Hey Ellen, you okay? Talk to me babe, what's wrong?"
Fumbling with the harness keeping him strapped down with one arm while the other held an increasingly distant Ellen in place, Ratchet managed to free himself from the seat's restraints and scoot off the edge. A gnawing sense of dread growing in the pit of his stomach as he gently lowered the all too quiet redhead to the ground in an awkward crouch and moved to lie her down, only to freeze at the slick feeling of blood running over his gloves. His breath hitching and eyes widening in horror as a bloody cough escaped her throat, along with a single near whispered word. "Ra... tchet..."
"Oh no..." he breathed out with rising panic as his hand brushed up against something metallic jutting out of her chest. "No, no, no, no, no! Ellen, stay with me!"
To say it was bad would be an understatement, but it wasn't until he carefully shifted Ellen around so that she was lying on her back against the crater's side that Ratchet could finally see the full extent of her injuries with mounting horror. Several small splinters of jagged and predominantly green metal had lodged themselves firmly into her extremities, punching straight through the thinner portions of Ellen's commando jumpsuit and deeply into the flesh beneath, while leaving a series of crimson trails behind that even now were beginning to congeal. The fragments themselves gradually being expelled by rapidly healing flesh while the danger of bleeding out literally dried up, thanks to the miracle of Nanotech and the dwindling reserves running through her bloodstream.
But it was towards her chest plate that Ratchet's attention was drawn, and the long piece of shrapnel that had nearly cracked it in half from the sheer force of impact. Lodged deeply within her ribcage as it was and continuing to stain the surrounding area with an ever growing pool of blood, while faded traces of partially burnt away camouflage paint clued Ratchet in to just where exactly the metal fragments had come from. For the chunks of shrapnel imbedded within Ellen's increasingly pale and fragile-looking form had once been a part of Buddy Boom's mech before being blown to pieces via artillery bombardment; the resulting explosive force likely having propelled a hail of metal shards in damn near every direction, including directly up at their then escaping ejector seat.
The bitter irony wasn't lost on him in the slightest; almost poetic in a dark, twisted kind of way, and almost certainly his fault. Of all the firepower Boom and his brother could bring to bear, a single hit from which could easily have reduced them all to so much paste, and yet neither were able to so much as injure the lombax and human during their final encounter until after death. Ellen's perch in his lap meaning that her armour and the vulnerable flesh beneath had taken most of the brunt instead of him, including the freak accident of a piece which happened to punch right through the thickest portion of her chest plate as if it were paper.
With weak gurgling breaths tumbling from slightly parted lips, Ellen lifted a shaky hand towards the offending length of shrapnel, though whether to try and remove the offending length of shrapnel or otherwise he honestly didn't know. It was however enough to shake Ratchet from his indecision, her eyes pained and pleading as he stopped her with a gentle touch on the wrist and rapid shake of his head. Mind racing in a panic all the while as the lombax desperately tried to recall what little he could from the medical portion of his commando training crash course, while fumbling for the small emergency phial of nanotech he knew was in one of his utility belt pouches somewhere.
"Sorry babe, but it might get worse if we pull that out," he apologised while trying to quell his own rising panic. Fingers finally finding purchase on the item he was after and tugging it free after a few good attempts, before upending the contents on the worst of Ellen's injuries. "Here we go... Just hold still and concentrate on breathing in and out, nice and easy. You're gonna be fine."
For once in his life, Ratchet honestly didn't know what to do. This was not a problem he could fix with a wrench or a quick application of superior firepower, and his medical knowledge only extended to 'slap Nanotech on it', let alone battlefield surgery. Something which she clearly needed and soon given how much blood Ellen had already lost, and while Nanotech could scrub nigh all chances of a wound becoming infected, there was no telling what kind of unexpected side effects there might be with her human physiology. If only he could find a way to stabilise her long enough to get off planet and reach the nearest available hospital...
'C'mon, Ratchet... Think, damn it, think! She needs a doctor fast, but where am I supposed to find-'
"Angela..." he whispered in sudden realisation, eyes alight with renewed hope.
After all, she was supposed to be some kind of doctor and all kinds of smart seeing as Megacorp had originally hired her on. Someone who probably knew way more about how to help Ellen at any rate and could help keep her alive, while the others retrieved their remaining Star Explorer and found a big enough transport to safely get them all off planet without being shot down by what defences remained. All he had to do was free the older lombax from her cell within the Behemoth's chest cavity and hope she was both still conscious enough and actually willing to help Ellen, given their not exactly stellar history together so far.
Carefully placing both of Ellen's hands on her freely bleeding chest wound and ensuring they kept a firm pressure, Ratchet gave them a reassuring squeeze while trying to put on a brave face for her sake. A faint smile not quite reaching his eyes as he looked into the dimming light of her own. "You're gonna be okay babe, I promise. Now, sit tight and keep pressure on it while I go find some help."
"H-hurts..." she barely managed to squeeze out through a rictus of pain. His heart lurching and stomach roiling with guilt at her increasingly deteriorating state.
"Shh... I know, I know, he comforted with a soft tone while idly tucking a rogue strand of hair back behind her ear. A chaste kiss placed upon her forehead, before forcing himself to stand back up to his full height on tired limbs. "Just hold on a little longer. I'll be back with the doc before you know it."
"Oh, I don't think so," an all too familiar and entirely unwelcome voice called out across the war torn street. One filled with a dark undercurrent of malice and a somewhat gravelly tone that instantly set Ratchet on edge as it drew nearer still. "In fact, you and the broad ain't goin' nowhere, lombax."
"Logan..." Ratchet intoned with a low, predatory growl that Ellen would have compared to Earth's big cats had she been more lucid. Stubby claws unsheathed in fury and threatening to tear through his reinforced gloves, while the lombax's head snapped towards the perceived threat with a narrowed eyed glare that promised only violence. "Get out of my way."
The only thing stopping him from acting on his instincts was the sudden cocking of a very large hand cannon that was being pointed directly at his head from less than ten feet away. Logan clearly having seen better days if the faint limp and torn, tattered vest were anything to go by; causing his shark-like grin to slip a little with each laboured step forth, before finally coming to a halt just out of arms reach. "Uh-uh, fur bag. If there's anyone in the way here, it's you and little miss markazian freak down there." He gestured towards Ellen's prone form with a smirk, Ratchet bristled at his choice of words.. "Standin' in the way of my paycheck, that is."
Truth be told, Ratchet hadn't even realised anyone was there. The crater's depth hiding much of the surrounding area from view, and his own more pressing concerns with Ellen's survival ensuring that even the lombax's normally very sensitive hearing didn't pick up on Logan's presence until it was already too late. Allowing him to pop the cockpit hatch and cross the distance between them and his downed and thoroughly scarred mech with relative ease.
"Oh yeah? Well, I hope it was worth it," Ratchet snarked while gesturing to the surrounding devastation with a sweep of his arm. "I mean, we must've wiped out half your company by now."
This was really bad, and the situation was only getting worse by the second. Ellen was in a critical condition, Logan was only one trigger pull away from ending them both, and all Ratchet could do was hope to stall him with words. Desperately trying to buy more time for either backup to arrive or an opportunity to strike out without putting the now worryingly quiet redhead at further risk.
Too bad the merc leader just plain wasn't selling.
"Like you wouldn't believe," Logan chuckled darkly with a slow shake of his head, before further tightening his grip on the trigger. Eyes narrowing into a glare at the lombax, while a sharp-toothed grin tugged at his lips once more. "But at least now I get to return the favour in spades, and there's not a damn thing you, her, or your little metal pal can do about it. Where is the little canner anyway?"
A silent, deathly glare was his answer; Ratchet standing tensed and ready to spring while hunched protectively over Ellen's prone form. But rather than get mad, Logan simply shrugged dismissively with a brief snort and eye roll. "Doesn't really matter anyway. I'll just hunt him down once I've dealt with youse two, permanently." A victorious and overly vicious grin stretched across his face as the hand cannon's barrel shifted slightly, ensuring that it was pointed right between the lombax's eyes "So long morons, and good riddance!"
With a fractional squeeze of his finger, Logan completely depressed the trigger and time seemed to slow down to a crawl. Ratchet instinctively dropping to his knees in a last ditch effort to cover Ellen's body with his own; eyes screwed shut, fur standing on end, and expecting to be in a world of pain as the inevitable deafening gunshot reverberated across the war torn street like a final death knell. Only to feel nothing of the sort, or in fact much of anything at all bar for his pounding heart and debris choked crater beneath all four limbs.
A cautiously cracked open eyelid revealing the reason why as he gaped at the bloody hole which had appeared in Logan's chest, and the man himself staring down at it in bewilderment while his gun was pointed elsewhere. The bullet mercifully hitting a nearby outcropping of debris instead thanks to the merc leader's aim being thrown off, leaving him to gingerly raise shaking fingers towards his freshly opened wound and touching the edge, before coming away stained almost entirely red. "W-what... the...?"
Eight more shots rang out in rapid succession, an accompanying crimson spray and exit wound erupting from his torso, and causing him to jerk around like a string puppet with each successive hit. The front of Logan's body now resembling little more than a patchwork bloody mess and leaving him swaying unsteadily on his feet by the time the last echo finally died away. His hand cannon slipping from suddenly unresponsive fingers and clattering loudly on the cracked ground below, followed shortly thereafter by Logan's knees as he pitched forward into the dirt. Ratchet able to get one last glimpse at the shocked expression and light fading from his eyes, just before he keeled over face first and lay still.
Face almost mirroring the dead man's surprise, Ratchet cautiously looked up to see Logan's killer shakily lowering the now empty holdout pistol she had been pointing with both hands and let it fall limply to her side while releasing a shuddering breath. Her fur dishevelled and clothing having seen better days, while obvious bruises were prominent from where she had been shaken up during her captivity. But there was no mistaking that face, whose features were currently set into a scowl as she glared down at Logan's body in passing before spitting on it, or the aggrieved tone of voice. "Consider our contract reneged, you bastard."
"Angela...?" Ratchet questioned in disbelief, both at the weapon she still held casually in one hand and the fact she had managed to escape from the Behemoth's chest compartment. "How did you even...?"
Angela shrugged. "Swiped it off big guy here and his guards when they weren't looking, along with a couple of card keys. Lucky for me, one of them happened to override the cell doors inside that massive mech."
Ratchet shook his head. "No, I mean, where we keeping it all this time? Heck, if you had a gun, why not use it to escape and save us the hassle of busting you out?"
"Because I'm not a fighter like you, and there were a hell of a lot more of them than I had bullets," she scowled with both hands fisted on her hips, before blushing slightly with her next words. " As for the rest, well... let's just say that women have more hiding places than men and leave it at that, okay?"
Before he could even think to dwell upon the implications of that little revelation, Ratchet's attention was drawn back to more important matters by the weak cry from just beneath his still crouched form. Ellen's face now worryingly pale and eyes barely able to stay open as bloodstained gloves lay clutched around her grievous chest wound. "Oh crap! Ellen!"
Catching a glimpse of the redhead for herself now that she was close enough to see, Angela couldn't help but gasp in shock at her condition. Tossing the gun to one side and throwing all caution to the wind as she hopped down into the crater and shoved the other lombax aside. "Wha- Why didn't you say she was injured, you moron?!" Snapping up her recently reacquired Wrist Com, Angela quickly preceded to throw up a medical diagnostic programme before shooing Ratchet away. "Go, make yourself useful and call for Harding to get us out of here. Otherwise, stay the hell out of my way so I can stabilise her."
Trying to push down the sudden spike of panic as Ellen continued to slip away, Ratchet somehow managed to tear his gaze away long enough to re-establish contact with Clank and relay the situation. The three absent members of their little team understandably shocked, worried, and more than a little motivated to rendezvous as quickly as possible once they had recovered the Star Explorer. Ratchet could only hope that they would make it on time, and that Angela could help save the girl he loved before it was too late. The lombax terminating his call and scooting around the crater's edge so as to stay out of the way, before gently grasping one of Ellen's hands with his own and a growing pit of dread in his stomach as her eyes finally drifted shut.
"Ellen, please..." he hoarsely whispered, tears beginning to pool in his eyes. "Please don't leave me..."
Well, this seems like a suitable cliffhanger to end on, don't you think? A sour victory over Thugs-4-Less, and dire tidings for our heroes as Ellen's life hangs in the balance. I'm afraid you'll have to wait a bit longer to find out what happens next however since, as mentioned previously, I'll be taking some time off from this story for a while. Hopefully giving me a chance to recuperate and get a few chapters written up at a more relaxed pace before pushing on to the final Act, which shouldn't take quite so long to complete if all goes well. Thanks again for all your support, and with any luck I'll be back before you know it. Take care!
Review replies:
starrat - Thanks! Hope you enjoy this one just as much.
Razor of DOOM - By all means, take your time. There's plenty of it between chapters after all.
bajy - Glad you liked it, and hope you FIND the Snivelak arc's conclusion just as good.
Bookwriter94 - Thanks! You weren't too far off with Cash's plan either, as you've no doubt already discovered. Although given the Behemoth's sheer size and toughness, it was always a gamble as to whether it worked or not. Hope you enjoy the conclusion to Act two, and future chapters to come.
Firestar5277 - Well if Buddy Boom wasn't angry before then he sure as hell is now, and absolutely hell-bent on vengeance to boot. Something which may prove to be a double-edged sword since it also leaves him open to making mistakes that can be exploited, and perhaps prove fatal if pushed far enough. Still have no idea what the deal was with those crotch lights though, or their intended purpose from a design point. I mean, it's just a big target really, and now you mention it, would make for a decidedly creepy and vulnerable place for Angela to be kept.
You know, at this rate, I'm going to have to start putting together a list of reader generated weapons for future reference if the ideas keep flowing through. Perhaps I can even work some of them into this story or the next, or more likely an omake at any rate. Feel free to share if you do come up with any more and I'll see what I can do. Nice pun there and glad your supervisor lied my little contribution, so I guess it's time for me to make another!
Did you hear about the nun who broke her sewing machine while trying to mend her sisters' headdresses? They say she picked up a bad habit.
DarkEnigma95 - Glad you liked it. I'm honestly just happy to see this arc end so that the story can start moving forward again, given how grinding these last few chapters have been. Here's hoping I can avoid a repeat for the duration of this story. You liked the pun too, huh? Believe me, there's plenty more bad jokes where that came from, although not all are exactly PG.
Given how difficult it can be to get started on a story or even maintain a decent update pace, it might pay to stick with shorter chapters rather than forcing yourself to write epic length pieces. That way you'll be able to post content at a much faster rate without it being a constant slog to get things done on time, as I've unfortunately experienced far too often. Other than that, the best piece of advice I can give you is to check out what is probably the best guide to writing fan fiction I have ever come across, which can be found here: ( /writing-guide). While primarily designed with the MLP fandom in mind, the tips, tricks, and general advice apply equally as well to any written fiction, and should help set you on the road to making a well polished story. Hope that helps!
Snow Wolf Alpha - Possibly, but any interested parties would have to find it first, and the universe is a very large place indeed. So unless they knew where to start looking then Earth should be safe for the foreseeable future, and likely at the heart of several tinfoil galactic conspiracies as well. Also, given how many times he's interrupted some of their intimate moments at the worst possible times, you can be sure Ratchet will be eager to return the favour if or when Clank and Samus get together.
Lucas FTW - Amusing as this is, do you actually have any thoughts or criticisms on the chapter? Spamming song lyrics without reason or rhyme doesn't really count…
GamerHeart - A little late now perhaps, but congrats! Hope you enjoyed your special day.
Vendicor - Well, there is no kill like overkill, and unlike canon, my interpretation of Thugs-4-Less are more than willing to pull out all the stops in order to defend their home base. Admittedly, I may have gone just a teensy bit overboard with the climatic boss battle, but at least its over now and hopefully came off as a damn sight less tedious than in game.
Sonachugirl - That we are, and yes we have; Snivelak's finally finished! Yay! I did finish Chris' branch of the story on Resi 6, so I know exactly what you mean. It's just such a bittersweet ending, and one that made me a little emotional even though I had an inclination it was coming. Also, feel free to help yourself to a year's supply of metaphorical brain bleach for all your 'oh God, why?' level story woes. Lord knows we could all do with some more often than not.
Until next time, please review and check out my other stories once they're posted and/or updated.
Thanks for reading
- RevenantReaper337