They trekked onward through the jungle. The rain hadn't stopped, and neither had the annoyingly frightening thunder and lightening ceased. Ratchet walked ahead of Clank, literally soaked. His fur was moist, his ears were dropped, his tail dragged in the mud uselessly, and his pants were saturated. He would shiver, ignore it, and fight the urge to fold his arms.

Clank waked in the temporary path his companion made. He offered to stay on Ratchet's back, but the lombax refused, saying it would 'slow him down'.

"Ratchet, don't you think we should head back to the ship?" Clank braved the same question again. "We could get around faster if we were inside a warm vehicle."

"If I need the ship, I'll call it," Ratchet said, not bothering to look. "Nefarious is still on this planet. The little conversation with you and Qwark only gave him a small head start. He's probably in his secret base somewhere…in Nabla Forest."

"I do not think we are in Nabla Forest anymore."

"Wherever we are, Nefarious is here too."

"Ratchet……he could have left this planet long ago."

"….Hmmm," Ratchet stopped. He rubbed his chin in thought, "You're probably right…"

"I am?"

"Yeah, Nefarious would be elsewhere right now. Even IF I didn't see a ship leave, that doesn't mean he's still here."

"So what are you going to do?" Clank might have had a little hope then.

"I'm gonna call the ship," Ratchet pressed a button on his watch. "And you're going to check on Qwark."

"What?" the little robot couldn't believe his……he couldn't believe it.

"Qwark could need some help on Marcadia when he's tracking down the Biobliterator," Ratchet explained. "I'm calling a dropship for you. Let's find a clearing so we can--"

"You're going after him alone?"

Ratchet faced Clank now, towering over him. "Yes, Clank. Anything to say about it?" he asked threateningly.

"………..No…..," Clank said, his eyes saddening.

"Anyway, let's go. I think there's a clearing this way," Ratchet trudged on though the mud.

They had found a clearing now. Both ships had been sent for and were on their way. The dropship had been called via Al's holo-vid.

"What's taking my ship so long?" Ratchet muttered as he leaned against a tree, half-sheltered from the rain.

"I do not think it is wise to be under a tree during a storm, Ratchet," Clank pointed out, not really caring about the ship.

Ratchet rolled his eyes. He stood up straight and went further into the forest. "You still haven't answered my question…..," he mumbled childishly.

"It could just be the weather," it was more then obvious that that was a fact.

"I'm gong check on the others. Can I borrow the holo-vid?"

"Here you go," the device flew from Clank's compartment.

"Al, have you located the Biobliterator?" Ratchet asked to the one whose face was there instantly.

"No, Ratchet," Al said. Rangers moved in the background of the giant city that was in mid-day. "We've checked every possible hiding place there is in Metropolis and all the results have come out negative. There are no results from a test conducted on certain energy signatures."

"Well, keep looking," Ratchet clenched his unarmed fists. "It's gotta be around there somewhere."

"I'm beginning to think--"

"Over and out," Ratchet changed the frequency and another face appeared.

"Yo, Ratchet," Skidd said with a small smile. Behind him, Kyzil Plateau was approaching the evening. "Wassup?"

"Have you found the Biobliterator?" Ratchet cut to the chase, not bothering to ask why Skidd was in charge of the Veldin team.

"Uh…no, dude," the green man shook his head. "Nothin' outta the ordinary here, man."

"Keep searching."

"Hold on, bro! Are you sure that--?"

"Goodbye, Skidd," Ratchet switched to another frequency.

"This is Captain Qwark. How m--Oh, it's you," his face didn't have the scratch anymore. It must have been Nanotech. In the background, the Presidential Palace stood with no signs of tyhrranoid blood.

"How's the search going?" Ratchet asked.

"I just got here," Qwark said, rubbing his nose. "I haven't started searching yet."

"Well, get to it then."

"Did you check on the other two teams?"

"Yeah. They haven't found anything yet."

Qwark raised a finger to speak, when Ratchet interrupted.

"Don't ask if I'm sure I saw Nefarious, Qwark," Ratchet said irritably. "I already received that question and answered with the same reply."

"Actually, I was going to ask you if you think Skrunch will be hungry at this time."

"……"

"Uhh. Okay then. I'll continue in my search for absolutely NO--!"

Ratchet switched the monitor off before Qwark could mock him. He sighed as the holo-vid returned to the silent Clank. "No luck."

"I heard."

"I told them where to go," Ratchet clenched his jaw. "I ought to do it myself."

"Do not worry," Clank became optimistic. "The Biobliterators will be found and Dr. Nefarious will be defeated."

"'Tbetter happen," Ratchet muttered.

"….."

They waited in silence for about five minutes before a dropship landed in the centre of the clearing. A ranger stepped out, not daring to take his feet of the door-ramp. He noticed the lombax and robot and gestured to come aboard.

"You better get going," Ratchet jerked his head as a gesture.

Clank looked and gave them eye-contact. He nodded, "Good luck."

And he headed for the dropship. He spoke to the ranger and went inside. The ranger looked at Ratchet, saluted, and headed inside the vessel. The door-ramp closed, and the dropship hovered before zooming off into the cloudy sky.

Ratchet was alone.

"….."

He sighed and sat down at the base of a tree, waiting for his ride.

"….."

The air smelled moister then before.

"….."

It seemed as if the rain would go on forever.

Ratchet shivered and folded his arms.

He could have really used a smoke right now, but the weather wouldn't permit it.

"….."

Thunder clapped again and lightening flashed.

Wind began to pick up, creating a rather irritating whistling sound.

"….."

His wrench was placed by his side so its cold metal wouldn't cool his hands.

The ship was taking quite long.

Ratchet smirked, knowing that if the same thing had happened on Planet Aranos, he'd be a pancake.

"….."

His heavy lids lowered around his bloodshot eyes.

He sniffed.

His teeth chattered.

"….."

"Feeling cold, Ratchet?"

"!.!.!.!.!" the lombax jumped, grabbed his wrench, and struck a frightened/threatening pose.

"Annoying isn't it?" Nefarious asked. He leaned his back against a tree with his arms gesturing. "Now robots….. Heh, we don't know the meaning of temperature."

"How come you're still here?" Ratchet seethed, forgetting how cold he really was.

"Eh, just looking to have fun with my favourite rodent," Nefarious said casually as he 'inspected his nails'. "After all, he's fleeing the planet like a coward….."

"You're the coward, Nefarious!" Ratchet angrily pointed with his wrench. "Coming out to attack only when I'm alone!"

"Ratchet," Nefarious' eyes narrowed as he looked at him, "as long as I'm around, you're never alone."

Ratchet equipped his Shock Cannon.

BLAM!

The weapon fired, letting loose a wave of blue.

Nefarious jumped, back-flipped, found the trunk with his feet, and vaulted off. He landed in a role, leapt, and leapfrogged over Ratchet and into the clearing.

The tree which he was leaning against collapsed.

Ratchet turned and Charge Booted into the clearing, missing the tree by inches.

Nefarious was ready. He produced a plasma ball in his hand, "Bring it, rat!" he tossed the ball.

Ratchet jumped.

BLAAAM!

It exploded under him, followed by a blue wave.

The lombax landed, equipped with his N90 Hurricane. He fired.

Nefarious side-stepped the shots, folded his arms, and unfolded them with to duel ray guns. He let red-black laser beams fly.

Ratchet side-jumped, and didn't have enough time to land.

Nefarious blurred at him, missing the shots, and hit the lombax in the sternum with his gun. WHAP!

"Nnngh!" Ratchet stumbled backwards.

Nefarious concentrated and shot a hologram. The clone raised a fist and went straight for the lombax.

Ratchet regained his senses, but not in time. He was punched hard in the jaw.

"Getting sloppy, Ratchet!" Nefarious threw ten plasma balls.

Ratchet rubbed his chin, and jumped several times.

"Hahahahahaaha!" Nefarious laughed.

"You won't get away with this!" Ratchet equipped his Decimator and shot missiles.

Nefarious ducked, rolled, and performed a limbo.

"Just get hit!" Ratchet shouted.

"You want me to make it easy?" Nefarious put his fists on his hips. "Fine. Now powers or guns from now on other than flying." He sprinted.

Ratchet fired his Decimator again.

Nefarious jumped the missiles and landed right in front of Ratchet.

"HAAA!" the lombax swung his rocket launcher horizontally.

Nefarious batted it away and swept his leg out.

Ratchet jumped and hyper-struck with the still equipped weapon.

Nefarious leaned right, did a hand-stand, and spun on his arms while doing a split.

Ratchet blocked with his Decimator, preventing being hit in the side. He slid through the mud.

Nefarious pushed himself off the ground. He landed on his feet and dusted his arms off. "I remember when I was organic…that I couldn't do that cool move."

"From what I remember in your archives," Ratchet replaced his Decimator with his wrench, "…you were a loser who was picked on in school."

"Blah-blah-blah!" Nefarious moved his hand like a sock puppet. He spoke in an exaggeratedly stupid voice, "'I'm Ratchet and the best I can do is make someone feel bad about something that happened over twenty years ago'." He put his fists on his hips, "It sickens me when you're weak."

"It sickens me when you're around," Ratchet retorted.

"It sickens me, how your internal organs will look splattered all over the ground while your body is stuffed and mounted in my office!"

"….."

"Well," Nefarious placed a finger to his chin in an un-cute thinking pose while looking up, "actually………it won't! AH HAH-HAH-HAH-HAH-HA--!"

"HRAAAAGH!" Ratchet interrupted him with a warcry while charging, his wrench swinging madly.

Nefarious' eyes widened, but only for a second. He ducked one swipe, missed a kick, and punched with a growl of his own, "HYIAAAAHH!"

CLUUNK!

Ratchet blocked, and kicked.

Nefarious caught his foot with his other hand. BONK! He head-butted Ratchet.

Ratchet winced.

"HOOO-AHHH!" Nefarious jump-kicked him in the chest.

Ratchet fell on his back.

Nefarious approached him and leaned over so much, that their faces were almost touching. "Know this, Ratchet," he said as the rain kept going, "I'm about to unleash the greatest attack on Solana, and having someone in my way annoys the heck out of me."

Ratchet didn't respond nor move, but his face kept the same expression: a scowl.

"You squishies are a parasite to this place we call 'Home'," Nefarious continued. "I didn't know the beauty of being a robot until I accidentally became one on Planet Magmose."

"……."

"And now….I'm going to be the one to liberate this galaxy from top to bottom," his eyes thinned menacingly. "We'll meet again very soon."

And with that--WHOOOOSH--he blurred away in a stream of dark blue.

Ratchet grunted, brought his knees to his face, and kicked himself to his feet. He looked around, "…"

Nefarious was gone.

Ratchet took a deep breath and exhaled. He lowered his head to a depressing position, knowing that he had failed.

A humming sound forced him to look towards the clouds.

His ship had finally arrived. It landed some feet away, and the cockpit's lid opened, allowing rain to fall in.

Ratchet cursed. His vessel arrived right after the fight. There was no use complaining; the ship could fill up with water. He walked to it briskly, jumped in, and pressed the 'Close' button. He was sheltered.

Rain created a loud pelting sound on the tough glass.

"I may not have beaten you," Ratchet said as he placed his wrench in Clank's seat, "but I have a good mind to know where you'll go."

He inputted the coordinates to a planet.

The ship hummed to life.

It hovered, lingered, and shot up to the sky with a SHOOOOOOOM!.