Michael LIu said the thug Leader doesn't talk like that. Of course he doesn't. The fight with Ratchet and Clank has changed him for life. He's lost almost all emotion, he's become very aware and to top that all off, his eye twitches. You'll find out more about him later.

Chapter Thirty-three: Catch us if you can

Schwishh.

A pair of double-doors opened.

Flanked by four rangers, Nefarious walked in. Each ranger stood in a corner of the plain room. Nefarious took a seat at the end of a metal table.

Across him sat none other than Courtney. Her hands dangled on either side on her. She kept her golden eyes on the tabletop, not wanting to give Nefarious so much as a glance.

There was an eerie silence before Nefarious spoke.

"Hey, Courtney. Err….how are you?"

"……….," Courtney didn't answer. She didn't even move.

"Al did a check on you," Nefarious said as he put his hands on the table. "He said you're A-Okay. It was nice that you cooperated without questions. You're the same as you were before Ratchet and Klunck screwed you over."

"………," Courtney seemed to glare at Nefarious without facing him.

Nefarious noticed. "That wasn't an actual quote."

"……….," not even a smirk.

Nefarious poked his chin with his index finger. "Um…Qwark told me what happened. How you had refused to join Jeremy--that's Heinous' first name--because I was against him. That was very…err…honorable. Thanks"

"………."

"A funny thing happened when Ratchet, Clank, Jack, Qwark and the monkey came back," Nefarious made a small smile. "Everyone else was under Jeremy's control. Even Lawrence. I had to fight him…… Man, he can fight."

"………"

Nefarious frowned. "Alright, what do I have to do to make you talk?"

"………."

"Answer me, dammit!"

"………."

"……….."

"……..why?"

Nefarious blinked.

Courtney had actually spoken. She lifted her head and glared at Nefarious with frowning, golden eyes.

"'Why' what?"

"Why are you joining the squishies?"

"Jeremy didn't tell you?"

"No……he didn't."

"……It's a long story."

"I have plenty of time," Gears said bitterly.

"Dr. Heinous is my stepbrother. We've been together ever since I was seven-years-old. He's tormented me ever since I was seven-years-old. He copied me, made fun of me, spread false rumors about me--every possible, miserable thing you could ever imagine. Since I was defeated a year ago, Jeremy decided to destroy all organic life in Solana. Ratchet lost in a battle, but survived…unfortunately. The squishies found out that I wasn't really gone after the second Biobliterator exploded. What really happened, was Lawrence teleported us somewhere which was too far away to get to other planets. Anyway, we were found and given a choice; either fight Jeremy, or go back to where we where. And I thought 'What a way to get back at Jeremy after all those years of torment!'. Long story short, revenge is sweet."

Courtney looked down at the table again. "I see."

"Just so you know, it's not permanent."

Courtney looked back up.

"I only agreed to join the squishies, because I can get back at Jeremy. I don't really like them, you know."

"…….," Courtney looked back down.

"So, are we cool?"

"…….."

"Is everything peachy?"

"………………………………………………………..No."

"What?"

"I said 'no'," Courtney replied through clenched teeth.

"I don't understand," Nefarious looked unhappy.

"You're joining the enemy," Courtney said. "You said you wouldn't for any reason whatsoever!" her voice rose.

The rangers shifted uncomfortably.

This time, Nefarious looked down.

"I know, but I'm desperate. I--"

"NO EXCUSES!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!"

CLAMP!.!.!.!.!.!

Courtney's fists slammed on the table.

The rangers behind her put their hands on shoulders.

She calmed down and said. "I don't want to talk anymore."

Nefarious nodded. "I understand, but may I ask one more question?"

"What?"

"You won't leave, will you?"

"I don't have a choice," Courtney quietly responded. "One of the things Dr. Heinous told me was that we are in another galaxy. Solana is my home and this ship is my only way there."

"Okay then," Nefarious stood up. "We're done."

He signaled at a window behind him.

Schwishh.

The double-doors opened.

Sasha walked in, holding an icepack to her head.

She nodded at the rangers.

Courtney stood up and was escorted out of the room.

"Coming, Nefarious?" Sasha asked.

"Yeah," Nefarious started walking out the door.

Sasha followed.

The scientist and captain walked down a hall together.

Nefarious sighed. "So, how's the fixing going?"

"Fine," Sasha replied bluntly. "Al just got done fixing the security cameras."

"What about the other people."

"Same as me," Sasha pointed at the icepack on her head, "pounding headaches--ow."

"And Lawrence and Helga?"

"Al checked them and said they were okay."

Nefarious sighed sadly.

Sasha noticed. "What?"

"It's Courtney. She hates me for joining you squishies. And…I don't blame her," he frowned. "I can't believe I've been with you losers for so long."

Sasha ignored the rude comment.

Suddenly a ranger came running round a corner they were heading for.

"Captain Sasha!" the ranger called as he ran towards the two.

"What is it?" Sasha asked.

The ranger screeched to a stop. "Dr. Heinous has transferred a holographic signal to the Bridge!"

Nefarious' and Sasha's eyes widened.

"Let's go," Sasha said.

"It's pointless," the ranger said.

"Why?" Sasha raised an eyebrow.

"Cuz the transmission ended as quickly as it started."

"What do you mean?"

"Dr. Heinous only called here to say where he was going."

"Where?"

"Planet Dobbo."

Sasha looked confused. "But my studies said that that planet has no raritanium."

"Who cares?.!.?.!" Nefarious exclaimed. "Jeremy's gonna be there!"

"Where on Planet Dobbo?" Sasha asked the ranger.

"Some place called 'Megacorp Testing Facility'."

"Then let's go!" Nefarious seemed restless.

"Hold on," Sasha looked doubtful. "It could be trap."

"Whatever it is, I can take it!"

"He just said where he would be?"

"Yes, Captain. That AND he wanted to tell Nefarious something."

"What?" Nefarious raised an eyebrow.

"Fat Camp."

"…….."

"…….," Sasha stared at Nefarious, confused.

"……," the ranger did the same.

Nefarious rubbed the back of his head, embarrassingly. "I……had a small……weight problem when I was sixteen."

"………skt," the ranger held back a snigger.

Sasha strained to keep the edges of her lips from curving upwards.

Nefarious frowned. "Aw, shut up."

Heinous, Albert, Raxamis and Sandy walked out of the blue ship. Heinous gave a thumb's up to the ship's front window and the vessel ascended in response.

"We're here," Heinous said. "Now, let's get to the enlargen machine like the thug Leader told us."

"I thought you were telling the thug Leader what to do," Albert pointed as he said.

"He suggested, Albert," Heinous rolled his eyes. "They can't do it, cuz they're organic."

"Speaking of which, will we be meeting any thugs this time?"

"Only one, and he has a small role. Then there's Agent J. He's around here somewhere, but he only wants to assassinate Ratchet and Clank."

"Ahhhhh."

"I suggest we quit wasting time and get there already!" Raxamis said. "I wanna fight Ratchet again."

"Then let's go," Heinous said.

The four robots barely walked before they found a taxi.

"This should take us there," Albert said.

"Yeah, let's go," Heinous said.

Raxamis blinked. "But what about the defense robots?"

"What about them, Raxamis?" Heinous half-glanced at his step nephew.

"Why don't we fight them as a warm-up?"

"And waste time? This plan could very well be the most important fight of our lives! Once this is done, it'll be like we're half-way there."

"I see what you mean," Raxamis looked defeated.

"Good. Now, get on this taxi. You too, Albert, Sandy!"

After everyone was on, the overcrowded vehicle hovered away.

Later, Ratchet, Clank and Nefarious walked down a dropship's ramp.

Ratchet gave a thumb's up and the vessel ascended in response.

"So……," Ratchet tried to make conversation, "……….Qwark and Jack didn't come, because….."

"They should stay in the Phoenix encase Jeremy tries anything sneaky again," Nefarious said.

Meanwhile…

A few yards away…

Agent J sat in a rowboat. He put the oars down and searched in his Storage Watch for a descent weapon.

"………."

He found one.

"Bingo," the thug smirked.

He had equipped the Vaporizer again.

He flattened himself against the wood and popped his head and weapon over the edge.

The side of Ratchet's face was visible.

Agent J tongued his cheek.

"You won't get away this time, you slippery, little marsupial."

His green finger tightened around the trigger--

POP!

He blinked, lowering his weapon. He looked at the ship's floor and did a double-take.

Water was spraying into the boat from a small hole in the floor.

"How'd that happen?" the assassin asked himself.

He casually pressed a button on his Storage Watch and a handful of sticky goo materialized.

CLAMP!

He stuck the sticky substance into the hole.

"This isn't a cartoon," he said.

He got back in the position he was in before he was interrupted.

"………struth," Ratchet and Clank where out of sight.

Suddenly--

CHOMP!

"?.?.?.?.?.?.?.?.?" he looked at the other side of the boat.

His eyes widened.

A shark was biting at the boat.

WHACK!

Agent J slammed his Vaporizer on the shark's head.

The shark glared at him with solid, yellow eyes.

CHOMP! CHOMP! CHOMP!

Almost all of the boat was gone.

Agent J was about to equip a weapon, when he realized it was futile.

SPLASH!

He fell in the cold water.

"G-G-Good th-th-thing this watch is waterproof," he said.

A dorsal fin headed for him.

Agent J's eyes bulged.

The assassin started swimming freestyle to the nearest island, panting and screaming madly.

"I think I saw a ship," Heinous said from where he stood at the edge of the island. "Let's get going."

"Right," Raxamis said. A beat. "Where are we going, again?"

"Lunar City," Heinous replied. "It's a moon which orbits this planet. On it, there's a city. Don't worry; the city's fake. Only used for fights, so we can destroy as many buildings as we like. Once we leave, Megacorp's robots will come and build a new city."

"How convenient," Albert mused.

"Why didn't we go there straight away?" Raxamis asked.

Heinous smiled. "I'm glad you asked that question." He walked towards a yellow circle. "Behold!.!.!.!.!.!"

"What is it, sir?" Albert eyed the device curiously.

"That's the enlargen machine," Heinous said as if he built it himself. "It's different from the ones in our galaxy."

"What's the difference?"

"It makes any robot that uses it more powerful than the ones in Solana."

"Who'll be using it?" Raxamis asked.

"Sandy!" Heinous pointed at the sand shark.

Sandy looked nervous.

Heinous knelt besides her. "Don't worry, Sandy," he said. "We'll be able to change you back."

The sand shark nodded.

"Step on the machine, girl."

Sandy did so.

Her legs grew wide.

Her head grew after it.

Robotic arms grew by her sides.

Albert's lips parted.

Raxamis' jaw dropped.

"Ready to ride?" Heinous asked with a smirk.

"Hell yes!.!.!.!.!" Raxamis jumped excitedly.

"Where will we ride?" Albert asked.

"In the cockpit," Heinous said.

"She has a cockpit?.?.?.?" Raxamis' grin only widened.

Heinous nodded. He looked at Giant Sandy. "Open the cockpit, please."

Sandy turned so her left side could face the group. A piece of her head slid to the side and a ramp descended.

Raxamis ran up, Heinous and Albert walked up.

The ramp contracted and the door closed.

"How come Sandy has a cockpit inside her when she is like this?" Albert asked.

At them moment, Raxamis was looking at all the flashing lights.

"Because I programmed it in her, encase we'd ever be in a situation like this," Heinous said.

"Again?"

"Hey, I have to do something to pass the time."

"I see."

"Take a seat."

The room was just the right size for the robots.

Raxamis took of his cape and rested it on the back of the chair which he sat in. It was the right size.

Albert placed his rump on a chair to the left. Like Raxamis', it was his size.

And finally, Heinous sat in the middle chair. Nuf said.

There was a good amount of space between each seat.

"…."

"……"

"……"

"……"

"…….."

"……so…..what now?" Raxamis asked.

"We wait."

"Wait for what, sir?"

"Ratchet, Clank and Vince."

"I think they're here, Uncle!.!"

"Can they see us?"

"Yeah!"

"Then let's go!" Heinous pressed a button.

FWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!

Yellow fire erupted from Giant Sandy's feet.

The sand shark hovered a bit, then--

FWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!

--rose skyward.

Pl-Plant.

Ratchet and Nefarious landed on the protruding piece of metal.

"Aarhh!" Ratchet scowled. "We're too late."

"Not entirely," Clank said as he detached himself from Ratchet's back and ran to the scorched enlargen machine.

His hips downwards grew.

His torso spun and grew.

His head grew.

"Hop on," Giant Clank said.

Ratchet was given a lift by the giant. He was put in his place, which was Clank's back, holding onto two pipes.

"You coming, Nefarious?" Ratchet asked.

"Did you have to ask?" Nefarious was already hovering in the air.

He landed on Clank's head and held onto the robot's antenna for support.

FWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!

Blue fire erupted from Giant Clank's feet.

FWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!.!

The behemoth flew skyward, heading for the battle ahead.

I'm leaving you lot with a massive cliffhanger. I won't be updating so often, because school starts tomorrow.

Sorry.

But you can expect a great fight.