Chapter 3: Numb

Jazz backed away from the room in awe. He wasn't the only one! Maybe he could finally talk about this secret of his to the other crew members and they would understand. Maybe he would be able to figure out what was going on. He turned and started heading toward the bridge.

"Hey there," Said a voice from behind him. Jazz simultaneously felt a hand on his shoulder making him jump a little bit. Jazz calmed his nerves with a deep breath and turned to great whoever was behind him.

"Um…who are you?" Jazz asked.

"My name's Bradley, I'm here for the-"

"The New recruit, right! My name's Jazz and I'm the weapons specialist around here. I'm also Ratchet's right hand man in ground and air combat. You'll be the new Intel officer right? "

Bradley nodded. The two were walking down the halls and coming up the soldier's quarters.

"Ok, let me show you th-"

"No…let me SHOW YOU!" Bradley pushed Jazz down the hall and into and open room.

Meanwhile

Ratchet was starting to feel the numbness of his body replaced with a dull pain. But he felt better to feel like he had control over his own self again and best of all he could actually enjoy the food Sasha was feeding him. The two had been silent a little while after Sasha had finished describing his job and what things were like before he lost his memory. She had mentioned that he had gone out on a patrol after there were a few disturbances near metropolis but he seemed fine when he came back just tired…

The night of the disturbance…

"All personnel clear the hanger!" Al said over the intercom.

"Locking all doors! Lock station one are you clear?"

"Clear sir!" A ranger replied.

"Lock station two, are you clear?"

"Clear sir!"

"Lock station three, are you clear?"

"All clear sir!"

"Lock station four, are you clear?"

"Clear, all clear!"

"Confirmed, opening hanger bay doors. Ratchet you are cleared to enter!" Ratchet's ship hovered into the hanger and landed gently on the ground. The hanger bay doors were immediately shut after.

"Alright, stand by…" Al said. Ratchet heard a loud hissing noise. Oxygen was coming back into the room.

"Alright you're clear to exit, have a good night." Jazz, who was sitting next to Ratchet on the plane and who had accompanied him on the mission glared at Ratchet.

"Don't you ever tell me to stay behind like that again you understand?" Jazz yelled. "You could have been killed out there!" Ratchet didn't pay attention he just had a blank stare on his face.

"Hey! Are you listening to me? You're lucky I decided to come in a check on what's going on!"

"…I'm sorry Jazz, I won't do it again." Ratchet sighed. He hopped out of his ship and stumbled a little bit.

"You feel alright?" Jazz asked coming out the other side of the jet. Ratchet didn't answer and stumbled into his room. He went up to his mirror and saw nothing. He stared but saw nothing…why? Suddenly the door opened startling Ratchet. He quickly got away from the mirror.

"Hey…you feeling all right?" she asked. Ratchet made his way to his bed and sat down. He sighed and shook his head. Ratchet felt Sasha hand on his back starting to make their way up to his shoulders.

"I let him get away again…" Ratchet hissed. Sasha new that this guy was really bugging him. Tracking him down had been very long and stressful and now he's gone again. Sasha's hands moved down from Ratchets shoulders and continued down his chest. Ratchet knew that she was looking for romance but he just felt so numb.

"Ratchet, I know we're going to do it. It will just take some time." Her voice was getting softer. Ratchet put his hands on Sasha's and removed them from his body. Then he let his head hit the bed.

"This really is bothering you isn't it?" She said putting her head next to his.

"Ya…" Ratchet replied. Sasha kissed his cheek.

"Well Sash…I jus-" Suddenly Ratchet fell asleep…the day really must have taken a lot out of him.

"I'll talk to him in the morning" she thought.

"Who are you? Who am I?"

"You of all people should know who we are. You tricked me…you made me think that I would live…" the gray lombax said.

"I don't know what you're talking about…just let me out of here!"

"You don't remember… ratchet?" He spat.

"Well I do." The gray fiend's eye's started to glow yellow. Ratchet started kicking and moving around in fear.

"What's going on?" He yelled. Slowly the captor bent down to ratchet's neck and bit it. Ratchet screamed loudly in terrible pain.

"Does that ring a bell at all? Or would it help if she did it?" Ratchet looked to his right and saw nobody. He took a look to his left and saw-

"Sasha!"

"Oh, I've jogged your memory?" Bradley roared.

"Sasha? Of all people…you're behind this?"

"In front, under, and around it too," She Replied.

"So…it didn't mean anything did it! You just used me!"

"Oh, sorry" She mocked. "For what it's worth, I had fun doing it." Tear trails could be seen in ratchets fur.

"But why…?" Ratchet asked.

"Because Bradley told me to, he's finally getting his revenge."

"This still doesn't make sense though!" Ratchet yelled. "If everybody was at their post then this couldn't have happened."

"True…" A voice from around the corner said. "But not everybody was at their post." Jazz reviled himself along side Al.

"You trading, lying, assholes! I-"

Ratchet woke up. He finally felt good enough to stand up. He walked out of the room and looked around. Suddenly he saw Jazz Running toward him.

"Ratchet! Thank god you're awake!"

"What's going on Jazz?" Ratchet asked.

"Enemy…coming…" Jazz said panting between every word

"Who?"

"Unknown…Fighters…inbound."

"What should we do?"

"Your jet…Can you fly?"

"Umm…I don't know if I can, I still feel a little weird."

"Well it's going to have to do because you me and a few troopers are the only thing defending this ship."

"Ok, let's get going!" The two Ran into the hanger bay and got into Ratchet's jet.

"Umm…how do I start this…?" Ratchet asked.

"FORGET IT I'LL FLY!"

I hope you enjoyed that chapter…but I have some bad news. I'm leaving on Thursday out of the country for a year. I really hope that I can write while I'm there but if not…this is my goodbye to the section for a little while. (For writing anyways) the juvenile summer stories will continue as planed.