Disclaimers: I don't own Ratchet and Clank. If I did, the salesman would have made an appearance in the third game. (If he was watching the Secret Agent Clank movie, it doesn't count)

Thanks, captain deoxys, slyfoxx, Black Rosettes and Gruntzilla, for reviewing.

This is one of my favourite--hehehehehehehehehehehe--chapters. If you--hehehehehehehehehehehe--wanna find out, then read--hehehehehehe--this--hehehehehehe--chapter. MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAA!

Chapter Twenty-four: Identity, Part 1

Heinous sat on his swivel chair, typing and clicking. He was trying to find an alternate source of power for his weapon. The diagram to final piece of the weapon lay rolled up, resting diagonally on the desk to the scientist's left. Sandy lay in a ball to the scientist's right. The walky-talky lay in a drawer.

Heinous kept working…

"Whoa! This room is wicked awesome!" Raxamis stared at his room. "It's amazing, it's fantastic, it's breathtaking, it's--"

"Empty," Albert interrupted.

Raxamis and Albert stood in the soon-to-be room of Raxamis.

Raxamis glared at him. "Must you ruin the moment, Jeeves?"

"There's no need to be so excited, Raxamis. It's just a room."

"Yeah, I know," Raxamis rolled his orange eyes. "But look at it," he gestured, "it's so big."

"……..…"

"I know exactly where everything's gonna go!"

SWOOOOSH!

Raxamis blurred to some random part of the room. "The bed will go here."

SWOOOOSH!

"The computer will go here."

SWOOOOSH!

"The closet will go here."

"It's already there," Albert droned.

Raxamis ignored him.

SWOOOOSH!

"The stereo will go here."

SWOOOOSH!

"The posters will go here--"

SWOOOOSH!

"--here--"

SWOOOOSH!

"--here--"

SWOOOOSH!

"--and here."

Albert's eyes kept darting to every location of the room Raxamis blurred to.

"The shelves will go--"

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Much to Albert's relief, his and Raxamis' walk-talkies started beeping. Raxamis stopped running from one part of the room to another and answered his call. Albert did that same.

"Hello, this is Albert."

"This is Big R. State the business of your call."

"This is Dr. Heinous," Heinous' voice came. "I have good news for you two. I have found an alternate source of power for my weapon. Meet me--"

"--outside, near my cargo ship ASAP."

"Okay, sir, we'll be there soon."

"Jeeves and I will be there or my name's not BIG R!"

"Please stop calling me 'Jeeves', Raxamis. It's getting rather old."

"Big R will call you what he pleases!"

"Sir, can you please make him st--?"

-blip-

Heinous switched off the walky-talky.

He picked up the rolled up paper and Sandy. The sand shark was awoken instantly and growled in surprise.

"Don't worry, Sandy," Heinous said as he stood up. "We're just going outside." He started running to the door. "But not before a little pit stop."

The scientist focused to send a radio signal to the robo roosters.

'Robo roosters, meet me in the weapons room on the twentieth floor. Hopefully, the constructobots have finished filling that room with items I'll need you to use on the next mission I have planned for you.'

The scientist ran to the elevator.

"How can you just start playing after that, Nefarious?" Ratchet asked from where he sat.

"Like this," Nefarious simply replied as he killed another virtual enemy in the game he was playing.

"We can't just sit here," Ratchet said, obviously standing up. "Dr. Heinous is out there and he could be planning something terrible."

"Please," Nefarious' eyes never left the screen. "If I know Jeremy--which I do--he'd take a while before attacking. And, from what I've heard, he's not ready yet. I say let him build his fancy weapon. Then I'll destroy it, destroy him and all will be peaceful."

"What about Raxamis? You said you were worried about him!"

"I know. I still am, you know. But now, there's nothing I can do. I--Aw crap! I can't hold enough weapons! I gotta decide which one I'll ditch," Nefarious forgot about the conversation he was having with Ratchet and focused all his attention on the game he was playing.

Ratchet put a finger to his chin. "Weapons… Hmmm."

"What are you thinking, Ratchet?" Clank asked from next to the lombax.

"I just thought of something, Clank!" Ratchet faced his robot friend. "Heinous is unlike any villain we ever faced. Even if he copies Nefarious."

"And your point is…" Clank half-closed one eye; he didn't raise an eyebrow.

"We need a better place to store my weapons and gadgets."

"What's wrong with the old place?"

"It can't store enough. I need a new storage watch."

"'Storage watch'?" Lawrence asked from behind the couch where he stood.

"It's something which can store a certain amount of items. Simply scroll through and select the item you want. It'll form into place in the hand where the watch is fastened to," Nefarious said as continued playing. "It event tells time anywhere in the galaxy and includes Helpdesk advice when needed."

"Yup. And we're gonna get one," Ratchet declared.

"Where are we going to get one of those at this time, Ratchet?" Clank asked.

"I agree with him, Mr. Ratchet. It is rather late," Lawrence said.

"Lawrence, we're not friends with them. Just call them by their first name," Nefarious grumbled.

"I don't have time for this," Ratchet started walking. "Come on, Clank. I know exactly the person who'll help us out."

"Who, Ratchet?" Clank jogged to keep up with the lombax.

"You'll see," Ratchet stopped and turned around. "Hey. You guys coming?"

"Uh uh. I'm playing," Nefarious said. "And Lawrence isn't coming either. I don't want him to help you, squishy."

"…..." Lawrence was silent.

"Okay then. We'll see you later," Ratchet resumed walking, unaffected by the insult. Clank followed.

Raxamis and Albert stood outside the base, near Heinous' blue ship, which was parked near Heinous' guarded cargo ship. The pod and crane Heinous requested were a few yards away, surrounded by thirty constructobots. The two robots--Albert and Raxamis--waited.

Raxamis had his arms folded while Albert paced back and forth with his hands behind his back.

"Where could he be? It's been ages already!"

"Calm down, Raxamis; it's only been five minutes."

Raxamis sighed sadly. "It feels like seven minutes."

Albert rolled his eyes.

Suddenly, Heinous came running from the base, holding Sandy under his right arm while holding a rolled paper in his left hand. He was followed by the usual ten robo roosters, which were equipped with one Vortex Cannon each.

Albert stopped pacing.

Raxamis waved. "Hey there, Dr. Hein--er, I mean--Uncle Jerry. What took ya?"

"I had to equip the robo roosters with the items required for the next mission," Heinous gestured while putting Sandy down. "As I told you before, I have found the alternate source of power for my weapon."

"And that would be…"

"Sewer crystals," Heinous said. "I discovered that in my research. Sewer crystals have a lot of stored energy inside them and would be a perfect example for power."

"You've got to be joking, sir," Albert looked disgusted.

"Would I have called you and Raxamis here for a joke?" Heinous smirked. "Albert, when was the last time I played a joke on you?"

"Never, sir."

"Good." Heinous turned to Raxamis, who had been quietly listening. "You don't have a problem with sewer crystals, do you?"

"Uh uh!"

"Great. Now let me tell you what's gonna happen. I have equipped these robo roosters with my upgraded version of the Vortex Cannon. Just one cannon can suck up to a hundred items, meaning that I could have one thousand crystals per round. The amount of sewer crystals has increased rapidly over the last year. The robo roosters are to enter the sewers--which, might I add, are the last places in the galaxy where sewer crystals can be found--and gather as many of them as possible. Then they'll return to the blue ship, put them in the containment unit and search again. Any questions?"

"What about the ameoboids, sir?" Albert asked.

"I'm way ahead of you, Albert," Heinous responded. "Believe it or not, ameoboids dislike the smell of tyhrranoids. So I covered them in tyhrranoid stench."

"Ew."

"Cool!"

"Are those all the questions?"

Albert and Raxamis looked at each other, looked at Heinous and nodded.

"Okay. Off you two go then. Do what they say on this mission, robo roosters," he faced the still troopers and said, "Accompany them, will ya?"

The troopers and robo roosters nodded and entered the blue ship, which Heinous opened for them.

"Wait, sir. You're not coming?" Albert raised an eyebrow.

"Nope. Sorry. I have a lot of work to."

"Awwwwwwwww! Please come with us! I want you to see what I can do!" Raxamis practically begged.

"I'm sorry, Raxamis," Heinous showed a sympathetic smile. "I'll come along on the next one."

"Okay," Raxamis calmed down some.

"That's my step nephew! Now, Albert, do you still know how to fly my ship?"

"After all those years of watching you drive that thing? Of course." Albert smirked.

"Excellent! Now the two of you are to take this ship to Planet Auatos. Near Vince's old base to be precise. Do you know where that is?"

"Yes, sir."

"Take the transport ship thingy to the sewers and begin excavation. However, the pipe to the area is too small, so use the ship's transportation pipe. Okay?"

"Yes."

"…………………yeah…"

"Good. Then you're set to go. Return when the containment unit's full. When you're back, call me via walky-talky."

"Alright then, sir. Raxamis and I will see you soon," Albert turned and began walking to the ship.

Raxamis waved and followed.

Heinous waved.

Sandy stood on one leg and also waved.

Albert and Raxamis entered the blue ship. Not long after, the door closed. And, after a minute, the ship hovered upwards and left the planet.

Heinous turned to the constructobots which stood near the crane and pod. "Constructobots, I want fifteen of you to come here, scan this final diagram and build what's on it…."

A red ship landed on a familiar landing pad. The cockpit's lid swung open. A lombax and a robot exited the ship. The lid swung closed.

Clank grumbled, "I cannot believe you're going to ask an outlaw for help!"

"What's your problem, Clank?" Ratchet glared at the robot. He was attired in his old-school garb. He also had his wrench. "Slim has a lot of unknown recourses which could help us." A beat. "And I'm not asking him for help."

Ratchet began to walk towards a teleport pad.

"Still, Ratchet. Would it not be safer to go and buy a new storage watch from a Gadgetron vendor or shop?" Clank walked behind Ratchet.

"Slim's simpler and more to the point, Clank," Ratchet simply uttered before stepping on the teleport pad and disappearing."

"………," Clank said nothing and also disappeared on the pad.

Cong! Cong! Cong!

Ratchet knocked on the cylinder. Apparently, the opening where Slim's eyes should have appeared was closed.

"Hello? Slim? It's Ratchet and Clank!" Ratchet called. "We'd lie to buy something."

Clank folded his arms. "'We'?"

Ratchet didn't hear that. He knocked again.

Cong! Cong! Cong!

"Leave it alone, Ratchet," Clank said. "He's obviously not here."

"Shhhhh! Do you hear that, Clank?" Ratchet asked as he put an ear to the cylinder.

"I do not here anyth--"

"Listen," Ratchet cut him off.

There was the sound of shuffling going on inside the cylinder. Something was moving. The sound travelled upwards.

WUUUUUUUUUUUUURRrrrrrr!

The eyehole was closed no more. It was slid open from inside by none other than--

"Slim!" Ratchet exclaimed with a grin. "What took you so long?"

Slim's eyes displayed themselves in the opening. His irisless optics looked tired; they were half-closed.

"Nnnnnnngh. Do you know what time it is?" Slim asked, his voice a fusion between annoyance and tiredness.

"Since when did illegal dealers like you sleep, Slim?" Ratchet asked.

"Since ever. What can I do for you?"

"I was looking for a new storage watch for my weapons and gadgets."

Almost instantly, Slim's eyes widened in happiness. "Well then, I think I can help you in that department."

Aweird-looking 'pipe' entered the room from above. Attached to a part of its edge was a camera. The camera had a bird's eye view of Ratchet's ship. After the camera sent a signal to its sender, the pipe bent upwards to face the windows. It moved forward and faced downwards--

POP! POP! POP! POP! POP! POP! POP! POP! POP! POP! POP! POP!

Albert fell out from the pipe's 'mouth'. He was followed by the ten robo roosters and Raxamis.

"Wow! That was fun!" Raxamis said. "Let's do it again!"

"I believe we have more important things to do, Raxamis," Albert said.

"Yeah, you're right. Let's go," Raxamis agreed.

"It's nice to see that you're showing an interest in the mission, Raxamis. We will go soon. But first… how about getting off?"

Raxamis sat on a 'stack' of robo roosters. The 'stack' 'sat' on Albert.

"Woops!" Raxamis jumped off and landed on his feet.

His sudden movement caused the robo roosters to fall all over the place. Albert stood up, dusting himself off.

"Attention, trooper," Albert spoke into his walk-talky which caught the ship's frequency. "Contract the transportation pipe back into the ship and park the vessel on the island near here."

There was no response in the walky-talky, but the pipe moved backwards through the path it made and was gone.

The robo roosters stood up and awaited orders.

"Okay, Raxamis," Albert began, putting his walk-talky away; "let's find a way into the sewers."

"Found one," Raxamis' voice said.

Albert looked up to see Raxamis standing on higher part of the room. The robot stood near the door to a small transport craft. Raxamis tried opening it by prying his hands into the vertical crack the doors made.

"Rrrrrugh!" Raxamis lowered his arms in defeat. "Man, it won't budge!"

"That's because there's no transport craft." Albert pointed out." It's been taken."

"Crud! Then I guess we'll have to take the long way around," Raxamis jumped down next to Albert.

"Or perhaps we can take that teleport pad," Albert eyed the green device. "There is another room like this. I'm sure that leads there. The transport craft is bound to be in the other side. We could take that craft and drive to the sewers."

"Or maybe we could take the long was around." Raxamis stuck with his first suggestion.

Albert raised an eyebrow. "Explain."

"The long way's dangerous. It's packed with nasty ameoboids, right? Well, look at me. I can clear them off for you and the robots, Jeeves. After we get to the other room, it's all, downhill. So, what do ya say?"

"Well… alright, Raxamis," Abler gave in. "But you'd better not get overconfident."

"I won't," Raxamis said. He pulled out a laser sword from his utility belt.

VIIIIIIIUM!

The sword gave off a blue hue.

KL-KLACK-KA-KLACK!

Raxamis turned his left hand into a laser cannon.

"Follow us, robo roosters," Albert said.

The twelve robots walked to the elevator.

"…………," Raxamis stopped, turned around and looked at the red ship.

When Albert noticed this, he asked, "Is there something wrong, Raxamis?"

"…….no. It's just that that ship looks familiar," Raxamis kept staring.

A beat.

"Oh well," Raxamis shrugged it off. "Let's go, Jeeves."

"Hmmm…" Ratchet scratched his chin. "I can't decide which colour I want."

"Just pick one so we can go, Ratchet," Clank obviously didn't like being here.

"Let him choose," Slim said.

Three storage watches hung by their straps from the cylinder's eyehole. The colours were blue, green and red.

"I guess I'll take the blue one," Ratchet pointed at the one he wanted.

"Excellent choice," Slim spoke. "This one has the ability to store up to one hundred items at once. Like all other storage watches, it has helpdesk advice and cane tell time anywhere in the galaxy. However, MY version has a built-in laser. Press the green button to zap someone. Enjoy."

Ratchet pulled the watch out of the hole and stuck it onto his right glove. "Thanks, Slim."

"You're welcome," Slim responded. "And thanks for your old watch and the bolts. Are you sure that's all you want? Cuz I have some new products."

Ratchet seemed interested. "What else do you have?"

"Well, I have this new Gadgetron product. It's like the Devastator and the Annihilator. It's called the 'Obliterator'. Unlike most Gadgetron products nowadays, it has no upgrade level. This is so, because--although it requires more aiming ability--it's even more powerful than a R.Y.N.O III."

"No way." Ratchet blinked. "How much?"

"Forty thousand Bolts."

"That much?"

Slim's eyes frowned. "I'm being generous here. It really costs Eighty thousand Bolts. Do you want it full price."

"No, forty thousand's fine," Ratchet shoved a bunch of bolts into the slot that opened a few centimetres below the eyehole.

Slim shoved a huge, red gun with ten barrels through his eyehole.

"Whoa!" Ratchet gazed at his new weapon. "It's amazing."

"It sure is. But don't use it yet. This product won't be available at vendors till next week."

"Okay," Ratchet said as he placed the weapon on his watch. The Obliterator disappeared into a few sparks. "Anything else?"

"Ratchet, you got your watch and a new weapon," Clank grumbled. "Let us just go."

"Does he hate me that much?" Slim asked Ratchet.

"Nah. He dislikes lawbreakers."

"Uh huh. Say, is it true that you and the Phoenix folk have teemed up with Dr. Nefarious?

"Yeah. And so far, he hasn't tried to kill us."

While Ratchet and Slim talked, they remained oblivious to the rising elevator behind Ratchet. Twelve figures crammed themselves on it. Two of them also spoke on the way up.

"You are a remarkable fighter, Raxamis," Albert complemented.

"Thanks, Jeeves," Raxamis inspected his nail-less fingers. "But those ameoboids where jus weak, man!"

"True, Raxamis. But we did manage to acquire two sewer crystals."

"Walk in the park, eh, Jeeves--?"

"Hush! Do you here that, Raxamis?" Albert cut him off.

"……….," Raxamis listened. "It sounds like talking."

The elevator kept moving.

"…and he's pretty good at video games," Ratchet said to Slim.

"Who isn't these days?" Slim replied.

Clank heard the sound of the elevator and looked behind. "Who would use the elevator here?" Clank thought to himself.

The elevator stopped at its destination.

Clank's eyes widened.

"…and then he said--"

"Uh, Ratchet," Clank cut the lombax off as he pulled on his pant's leg. "We have company."

Slim's eyes looked up and widened some.

Ratchet turned around and gritted his teeth at what he saw.

Raxamis, Albert and ten robo roosters stood in front of the elevator.

"Well well well. If isn't my old arch nemeses," Raxamis grinned as he struck a villainous pose. "Ratchet."

"Uh… yeah," Ratchet said. A beat. "'Randy', was it?"

"'Raxamis'! The name's 'Raxamis'!" Raxamis fumed.

"Pssst!" Slim hissed from behind Ratchet. "Pretend I'm not here."

"I heard that, Slim." Raxamis said. "Don't think I don't know you're here. Just be quiet and I won't hurt you like I'm gonna hurt Ratchet."

"Me? What about Clank. The duo's name is 'Ratchet and Clank'!" Ratchet gestured to himself, then Clank.

"I will hurt Clank… right after I get his autograph."

Ratchet and Slim sweatdropped.

"Hey there, Clank," Raxamis waved at the small robot. "You're an awesome actor!"

Clank hesitated, but then said, "Thank you."

"It could be worse," Ratchet droned. "He could think that Agent Clank is real."

"Yup," Slim responded.

"Just what are you doing here, anyways?" Ratchet raised an eyebrow.

"Oh! Jeeves and I are looking for an alt--mmmmfmfmfm!" Albert's hand clamped onto Raxamis'.

"We're just… er… sightseeing," Albert said.

"You can do much better than that," Slim droned.

Raxamis lodged his mouth free from Albert's hand. "Enough talk! Let's fight!"

VIIIIIIIIIIIUM! Raxamis equipped a blue laser sword. "Jeeves, I don't want help in this fight, so make the robo roosters stand over there," Raxamis said as he pointed his sword's tip to a window. "Oh, and hold my cape for me, will ya?"

Albert took Raxamis' cape and held it in both hands.

After receiving the order, the robo roosters were standing at the place where Raxamis said for them to go.

Albert stood near the elevator.

Ratchet grabbed his wrench.

Clank jumped onto Ratchet's back in Thruster mode.

"YAAAAUGH!" Raxamis lunged forward with a horizontal swipe.

Ratchet side-flipped to his left and landed in the lower part of the room.

Raxamis grunted and swiped at him again.

Ratchet barely had time to back flip.

"YAAUGH!" Raxamis swung his sword again. He swung before Ratchet could land. All he did was cause Ratchet to lose a few hairs from his ears.

Raxamis equipped a yellow laser sword--VIIIIIIIUM!--and attached it to the other. His double-bladed laser sword gave off a green hue. He spun it like a fan and ran forward.

Ratchet twirled his wrench and deflected.

CHING! CH-CHING! CHING!

Raxamis jumped, spun and kicked at Ratchet.

THWACH!

Raxamis' foot hit Ratchet's wrench and sent the lombax stumbling backwards from the impact.

WUMP!

Ratchet landed hard on his butt.

Raxamis landed gracefully and charged forward, weapon raised. "YAAAAAUGH!"

Ratchet quickly rolled out of the way.

CHIUM!

The tip of the laser sword hit the place where Ratchet's head once was.

Ratchet got into a crouching position and attempted to trip Raxamis by doing a crouching kick.

Raxamis saw this and back-flipped over Ratchet and landed in front of him.

Ratchet gritted his teeth, got up and did a comet-strike.

SW-SW-SW-SW-SWOOSH!

Raxamis grinned and jumped over the wrench.

Ratchet also grinned.

"!" The robot blinked.

SW-SW-SW-SW-SWOOSH! WHUMP!

"DAAAAAH!"

The returning wrench hit Raxamis in the back of the legs and sent him spinning vertically--

CLUNCK!

--and falling on his back.

Raxamis groaned.

"HAAA!" Ratchet came down with a hyper-strike.

"!" Raxamis quickly rolled forward, under Ratchet and--before Ratchet could hit the ground--did a handstand and kicked the airborne lombax in the gut.

BUMP!

"!" Ratchet's eyes bugged as he was send flying upwards, into the ceiling--

SPLAT!

--just so he could fall and--

SMACK! WHOOSH! BUMP!

--be sent flying from another kick from Raxamis--still doing the handstand--and end up hitting the floor near the entrance the transportation craft.

"Nnnnngh!" Ratchet quickly got to his feet and subconsciously reached for a weapon, when he realised the only one he had was the Obliterator, which Slim said not to use until next week. Ratchet only hopped he'd live that long.

"YOU'RE NO MACH FOR ME, SQUISHY!" Raxamis came running, his double-bladed laser sword ready. "YAAAAUGH!"

Ratchet got up and used his Thruster-Pack to avoid the incoming attack.

Raxamis missed this one and chased after Ratchet in the lower part of the room--the other side.

Ratchet 'welcomed' Raxamis with a three-hit combo.

Raxamis ducked the first one, jumped over the second and--

CLANG!

--deflected the third.

Raxamis spun his foot around, but Ratchet jumped over him.

THWAP!

Without looking, Raxamis back-kicked Ratchet in the rear.

Ratchet stumbled forward. He grunted and did his comet-strike again.

SW-SW-SW-SW-SWOOSH! WHUMP!

Raxamis' back was still on Ratchet, so the wrench hit him in the back if the legs again. The robot spun vertically. "WOAH!"

SW-SW-SW-SW-SWOOSH! WHUMP!

The returning wrench hit Raxamis again and caused him to spin the other way.

"AAAUGH! STOP THIS CRAZY THING!"

CLUNK!

Raxamis landed on his back yet again, this time more groggy from the attack.

"Brace yourself--HIIIIAGH!" Ratchet came with a hyper-strike.

"!" Raxamis had no time to do what he did earlier. He discarded his weapon and held both hands up.

GRIP!

Raxamis had both hands on Ratchet's wrench. He strained his joints to keep the oversized tool from coming in contact with his face. Ratchet was literally on top of this; he was trying hard to smash Raxamis' face in.

The two opponents frowned at each other.

Ratchet was surprised. 'Who'd know this clown was a good fighter?' he thought.

Albert watched silently. 'They appear to be evenly matched.'

However, Raxamis had other thoughts. 'Man, what I'd give right now for a couch, a holo-vid, a remote and grand-spankin' episode of Super Villain Weekly.'

Raxamis then got an idea.

He used his legs to encircle Ratchet and pull him closer. This caused Ratchet's push to weaken a bit. Raxamis then brought his legs closer to himself, as if he was going to sit down. Ratchet ended coming even closer. Raxamis used all the artificial strength in his legs to throw Ratchet.

However…

Ratchet had an idea of his own. He arched his back all the way backwards, causing Raxamis--still gripping the lombax with his legs--to rise forward. And, in one second, Ratchet contracted his body and used all his strength to send Raxamis flying.

And it worked…

SWOOSH! WHAM!

Raxamis went headfirst into a window, luckily not so much as cracking it.

Ratchet slowly got up and tried to ignore the back pains he received from his stunt.

"Okay, that's IT!" Raxamis shouted as he got to his feet and--KL-KLACK-KA-KLACK--turned his left arm into a laser cannon. "HAAAAA!"

ZAAAAAAP!

The robot fired a blue laser.

Ratchet barely ducked the laser as it came and singed the hairs on his ears. "Damn it! What do you have against lombaxes and the hair on their ears?"

"The same I have against squishies--HAAA!"

ZAAAAAAP! ZAAAAAAAP! ZAAAAAAAP!

Ratchet dodge-rolled one laser, jumped over another and--

CLANG!

--deflected another.

The latter was a mistake.

SWOOOOOOSH! WHUMP!

Ratchet landed face-first on the floor after being sent crashing into the wall above him by Raxamis' laser fire.

Raxamis smirked and turned his laser cannon back into an arm. He walked over to his dropped double-bladed laser sword and picked it up. The robot advanced toward Ratchet.

Ratchet saw Raxamis coming at him. He had to think fast.

Then…

Ratchet mentally slapped himself after remembering. 'The watch! Of course! How could have I been so stupid?'

Ratchet got to his feet, aimed his watch, pressed the green button and--

ZAP!

"!" Raxamis quickly deflected before it could hit his face.

ZAP! ZAP! ZAP! ZAP! ZAP! ZAP! ZAP! ZAP!

CHIUUM! CHAIUM! CHAUIIIUM! CHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIUM! CLANK!

"Argh!" Raxamis shouted as the last ZAP! hit the middle of this double-bladed laser sword, separation the two laser swords from whence it came.

The blue laser sword landed on its only button and deactivated, leaving a small, metal hilt.

The yellow one stayed with Raxamis.

"YAAAAAUGH!" Raxamis charged with his single-bladed weapon.

"HIIIIIIIYAGH!" Ratchet charged, wrench at the ready.

CLA-IUM!

The two weapons clashed.

Ratchet and Raxamis pushed against each other with all their strength. They were nose-to-empty space.

"You're a pretty good fighter, Ratchet," Raxamis said.

"Thanks. You're not so bad, yourself," Ratchet replied, his teeth clenched.

"Of course you realise I'm gonna win, right?"

"We'll see--" Ratchet was cut short when Raxamis' foot kicked him in the crotch. His eyes bulged and watered as he wheezed, "No……fair."

"Life's never fair, Ratchet."

POW!

Raxamis punched Ratchet in the jaw, causing the lombax to teeter back.

"Ah ha ha ha ha ha--!"

ZAP!

"DAAAAH!"

Raxamis' laughter was cut short when a green laser bolt came from behind Ratchet and sent the robot jumping several feet backwards in surprise.

"Nnnnnghh! Thanks, Clank."

"You're welcome, Ratchet."

Ratchet--still in pain from the kick--hopped towards Raxamis' fallen figure. The lombax climbed upon the higher part of the room and faced Raxamis.

ZAAAAAAAAP!

Raxamis let out a warcry and shot forth a blue laser from his laser cannon.

"!" Ratchet jumped out of the way--

CLANG!

Everyone--including Raxamis--stared as the laser hit the back of Slim's cylinder. Clank jumped off Ratchet's back.

CRACK! CR-CRACK! CRACK! CRAAAAAAAAK!

The pipes on top of the cylinder broke from the force of the attack.

The cylinder was knocked off its place and was sent grazing on the floor……… towards Albert.

"ACKIES!" the butler dove out of the way at the last second and the cylinder--

CRASH!

--landed where he was. Near the elevator.

CRACK!

The cylinder cracked open, revealing the person inside.

Ratchet's right eye twitched.

Raxamis' jaw hung open.

Clank blinked.

Albert was speechless.

They were staring at Slim Cognito, who was no longer covered.

"I guess the jig is up…"

WOOHOO! CLIFF-HANGER ALERT! HA HA!

DO NOT MAKE SUGGESTIONS FOR SLIM'S IDENTITY, CUZ I ALREADY KNOW WHAT HE'S GONNA BE. JUST GIVE YOUR OPINION ON THIS CHAPTER!

Now, if you'll excuse me: MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!