Authors note: Apologies I mispelled Grim's name with Grif, it was pointed out to me so working on the changes throughout the rest of the story. Otherwise hope you all have been enjoying and sorry on the delay for this chapter, it was already done as is all of part one. I will edit chapter one prior to this being put up so there isn't too much confusion why the name is changed.

CH.2: Racer of death

"Wait, kill you, as in..." Ratchet made the age old sign with the knife against the throat. Grim for his part nods his head.

"That about sums it up...however...the only difference is he won't be around to do it himself. Rex, he was never one to dirty his own hands. If you didn't do something exactly as he told you...his bodyguard carried out his message with firm hands, and not the kind you get at a massage parlor."

"There has to be a way to remove this wrist device of yours," Ratchet moves towards Grim but the older guy is quick as he backs away.

"No, Ratchet, this not something you can just...remove. Rex has training with explosives and before managing young hot shot racers he dealt with demolitions in the military. This is one of his babies and any attempt to remove it from the body will result in significant suffering of the individual resulting in death that would be instantaneous."

"That was...quite the mouthful Grim. Ok, so, looks like that bad boy is staying put. Still, there has to be something I can do. I can't just let you die, and, if this guy needs this vehicle then let me help fix it up. He never said you had to be the one solely to work on it did he?"

Ratchet could see him pondering on that. "Well, he told me I had to get it fixed up, not entirely sure the wording on help being involved. Still Ratchet I don't want you helping this old timer out on some project when you could be out there exploring the galaxy with Clank. Say...heard you met a female-."

"Yeah I don't want to go into it. So we doing this or what?" Ratchet wanted to busy himself and thinking of her, thinking of the one he let get away because of his decision, nah not worth it. Rivet was likely having the time of her life out there with Kit, making memories, maybe finding some guy who had more sense then him.

There was a slight silence after that but Grim didn't question him on it. "Alright, well, you know where the tools are...say do you think Clank wants in on this?"

"Uh...I have him working on another project at the moment," Ratchet ran a gloved hand through his fur before he sought out the tool box. Dropping down he disappears under the vehicle getting to work.


It is hard to say how long he is under there tinkering away but eventually he has finished a lot of work in a few hours. Grim had done his part looking under the hood and tinkering away or huffing away given he had already been working on the vehicle prior to Ratchet joining.

"Phew, I think that does it," Ratchet smirked. However the vehicle didn't see race worthy just yet. It still needed a new paint scheme and they really had no idea how it would run.

"Let us not celebrate just yet...as you can see there is still much work to be done. You should probably know that the races out there can be quite...dangerous."

"What do you mean Grim?" Ratchet only knew what he knew from encountering things first hand, but, he wasn't exactly involved in a lot of races. Much f of his adventures usually involved blowing things up or screaming, like a lot.

Grim appears to sigh in resignation which only means he is going to delve more into his backstory. Ratchet goes to find a seat and once more they find themselves in the positions prior.

"These races...they aren't for the faint of heart kid. The stakes are never higher and one wrong move can mean your life, and, it more or less means what I mean. I am talking death, burning wreckage the likes of which you don't walk away from. Your vehicle and how it handles both defensive and offensive like is owed to your crew and if one messes up that messup costs you in the end. There are no lanes to stay in and apart from a start and a finish, everything inbetween is fair game."

Ratchet was not liking the sound of this. Perhaps it was because he was a guy who just wanted to have fun and taking any life...it felt heavy to him. Even now hearing this he didn't trust himself to speak.

Grim could pick up on the mood as he folds his arms over his chest. "Ratchet, my past...the things I did...they are things I can never take back. When you are out there among the other racers, they are faces you see on a constant basis whether in passing or eating out with them. In some sense they are like extended family...so...once it is race day it kind of sets the mood, knowing that one of you isn't going to be coming back."

Ratchet swallowed some not sure how he would deal with that. Somehow though he finally managed to ask, "why haven't the Rangers cracked down on this operation?"

Grim lets out a short bark of a laugh but when Ratchet gives him a confused look he covers it up and composes himself. "Rex Stone is sly and cunning and the way he operates makes it so the Rangers will never investigate or get close enough to do so. Rex has risen in power over the years and the whole race thing, it is under his operation. He still has his own racer involved mostly because he has to be involved, he has to have a stake-."

"How long were you with this monster?" Ratchet cut him off fixing him with a hard stare. This whole business of racing and death...it had to end.

"I was 17 or 18 years of age I believe when I first met Rex. I am not going to say my age when Iwas broken. All I will say is I spent so much time of my life racing that it sort of blurred into my mind making it so I grew numb to it all. I wish I had pulled out sooner, I wish I had learned my lesson after seeing my best friend die...at my own hands. When you are that age Ratchet, when you are out there knowing you won't amount to much in your life, you do what is told of you."

"And that makes it right Grim?!" Ratchet rose up gesturing around. "You are literally murdering other races all for sport, all for one individual, all for-."

"I can't undo the past Ratchet, all I can do is tell you my part in it. If you are wanting me to turn myself in, not sure it will erase my regrets. Apart from repairing this vehicle and handing it off to Stone that is the last of my involvement in this death race of sorts. Help me finish it and soon you will be back with the Rangers and I can go about my usual business."

Ratchet wanted to say more, he wanted to continue this conversation. He felt such hate for this Rex and for what he had put Grim through. Looking up he can see that Clank is still busy trying to reach Rivet. He'd help out soon as he was done down here. Perhaps an apology was also in order given how moody he had been.

"RATCHET!" Ratchet looks over seeing his little buddy making his way over to them, or, rather he was hovering over.

"Hey there Clank, uh, finish already with that project?" Ratchet blushed some when Grim was looking over curious about this project. "And by project I mean nothing to do with a certain...shall we say-."

"If you are referring to the female known as Rivet who is much a Lombax as you are, then yes communications have been established but...she didn't seem in a talking mood and she didn't want much to do with you-."

"Ouch, I mean, tough luck kid," Grim says as Ratchet shoots him a look. However he probably deserved it given how they had parted ways.

"I see, well, thanks anyway bud...suppose it wasn't meant to be. I mean I thought we had a connection, and, I wound up ruining it. C'mon Grim this vehicle won't-."

"I wasn't finished Ratchet," Clank says, to which Ratchet attempts to laugh off. Clank doesn't laugh back.

"I guess I assumed that is the only reason you came down here. Ok, I will do my best not to interrupt, my bad. So...what is it Clank?" Ratchet follows after Clank and even Grim followed.

"My sensors picked up an approaching ship approaching. I have no idea the level of threat but as you can see...we will be expecting guests shortly." Ratchet looked back at Grim and saw him pale.

"We expecting customers Grim?" He looks back at him expecting that to be the case, but, he has never seen him this shaken up.

"I should...I should get back inside and finish up that racer..." Ratchet furrowed a brow and exchanged looks with Clank, though, Clank would be more out of the loop then he was.

"Grim...who does that ship belong to?" Ratchet walked over placing a gloved paw on his mentor's shoulder.

"The racer we have been working on, he has come to collect it. It has been about three months or so since you came back to Veldin after saving the galaxy, and, I have had exactly three months to work on this. The ship belongs to Rex Stone himself."

Authors note: Next chapter enter Rex Stone