Chapter six: Reunited

Skidd tiptoed through the Thugs-4-Less HQ, hoping that he wouldn't get the attention of any guards. He had done surprisingly well thus far, and kept the info the bikers had told him fresh in his mind. From what he gathered, the Thug leader was holding Angela on the top floor, so the Rilgarian was looking for an elevator that could take him there.

The Rilgarian pressed himself against a wall and loaded his Heavy Lancer. He looked around the corner and saw a couple of guards making their rounds. Skidd waited until the guards turned another corner before leaping out of his hiding place. He quietly ran down the hallway, eventually making it to the end.

Skidd had considered himself extremely lucky that he hadn't come upon the need to fire a shot yet. If he had shot something, he may have alerted the entire base and given away his location.

Eventually, Skidd came upon another hallway. However, unlike the others he had sneaked down, this one was completely empty. Skidd, having an uneasy feeling about this particular hallway, proceeded with frightened caution.

"Dude, someone's gonna jump out at me." Skidd whispered to himself. "Someone's gonna jump out at me. Somone'sgonnajumpoutatmesomeone'sgonnajumpoutatme…"

Skidd paused, frantically jumping back and forth to aim down either end of the hallway. He stood in silence before sighing in relief. "Dude, I guess I'm just so totally paranoid."

With that, Skidd walked off. A few more seconds passed before two thugs jumped out of hiding and started shooting in random directions.

"Wait. Wait." One of the thugs said as the shooting died down. "Crap. We missed him."

"You just HAD to take a bathroom break, didn't you?" The other thug asked.

(Meanwhile)

Outside the base, Ratchet and Sasha were approaching a window, getting ready to go inside.

"Tell me why we aren't taking the front door again, Ratchet." Sasha said.

"The front door is probably heavily guarded. If we took this way in, we'd attract less attention." Ratchet explained. "If we want to take out the leader, we need to make sure we don't make too much noise."

"Okay. So how are we going to get in without breaking the window?" Sasha asked.

"The window should slide open easily if I can just get my fingers into it." Ratchet replied as he started prying at the window.

The short lombax quickly got the window open, allowing him and Sasha to get into the base. The two lovers climbed through the now-open window and stepped onto the floor of the base silently.

"We're in." Sasha whispered. "Now let's get going."

Before either of the two had time to move, the window suddenly fell from the pane and crashed against the floor, where it broke into at least fifty pieces. Almost instantly, twenty guns were pointed straight at them.

Ratchet looked at Sasha. "How the heck did that happen?"

"Well, at least we know it wasn't our fault." Sasha said.

Ratchet quickly pulled out a Mini-Nuke and fired, wiping out five of the thugs at once, providing an opening for escape. Ratchet and Sasha ran past the rest of the thugs, Sasha picking off a few with her Tesla Claw.

"What now!" Sasha asked as she and Ratchet ran down the hallway with the rest of the thugs chasing them.

"I don't know!" Ratchet replied.

"You mean you don't have a plan!"

"I'm Ratchet! I don't need no stinking plan!"

"Then let me take care of this!" Sasha said as she grabbed her weapon and aimed it at a target on the wall as she ran. Firing the gun, Sasha made a direct hit with the target, and just as soon as she and Ratchet passed through a doorway.

The instant the two were through the doorway, a steel door closed behind them. The thugs weren't fast enough to stop and slammed into the wall with full force.

"Well, the entire base probably knows we're here." Ratchet said. "We may as well keep running."

(Meanwhile)

Skidd screamed as he flew down a hallway, half a dozen thugs right behind him. The Rilgarian aimed his Heavy Bouncer behind him and fired the lone projectile at the group of thugs. As soon as it hit one of the thugs, it exploded into several more, which also exploded. This slowed down the thugs long enough for Skidd to get a little more distance between them.

Skidd had no idea what had happened to cause attention, as he had remained completely quiet and careful no one had seen him. What he didn't know was that one of the windows had broken somewhere else in the base, and the resulting crash had alerted several of the Thugs-4-Less henchmen. They, in turn, had alerted everyone else in the base. A few guards had spotted Skidd and though he was the only intruder, and had been chasing him ever since.

The Rilgarian pulled out his Megarocket Cannon and shot a rocket behind him. The lone rocket slammed into the remaining thugs, taking all of them out.

Now that all of his pursuers were wiped out, nothing stopped Skidd from turning a corner to continue his search for an elevator.

WHAM!

The next thing Skidd knew, he was on the floor, his weapons scattered around at his feet. Shaking his head a couple of times, Skidd looked ahead to see what he had collided with. His eyes snapped open, instantly recognizing the lombax he had ran into.

"RATCHET!"

After running into something, Ratchet had fallen onto his behind, knocking Sasha off her feet at the same time. However, as soon as he heard the voice, one he thought he would never hear again, his eyes snapped open. He looked at the owner of the voice and wondered if his eyes were playing tricks on him.

"SKIDD!"

Skidd and Ratchet sprang to their feet and the latter ran at the former. Once Ratchet came close, he jumped into the air and wrapped his arms around Skidd.

"I don't believe it! You're alive!" Ratchet asked.

"I'm just as surprised as you are, man!" Skidd said as he wrapped his arm around Ratchet's neck and gave him a noogie. "It's so good to see you again, bro!"

"Same here, Skidd!"

Sasha ran over to Skidd and threw her arms around the Rilgarian as well. "We've all been worried that you died, Skidd! How come you didn't call the Phoenix?"

"I survived the crash, man." Skidd replied. "My ship didn't." He set Ratchet on the ground and looked at his two friends. "So what are you two dudes doing way out here?"

"We came here to avenge you and take out the Thugs-4-Less leader." Sasha explained before nervously chuckling. "I guess there's no point in that now that you're not dead."

"Hey. What are YOU doing here, Skidd?" Ratchet asked. "You went down over Grelbin."

"The leader's holding my rescuer on the top floor, man! I'm here to rescue her!"

"Your rescuer?"

"Yeah, man! Maybe you'll know her."

Ratchet pondered this for a few seconds before his eyes widened. "You mean ANGELA!"

"Yeah, dude!" Skidd replied. "She totally saved me from the wreckage of my ship!"

"So the leader's got her on the top floor? Why?"

"You and I ruined his contract by saving that cargo ship, bro. He wanted revenge on you, so he's using her to get to you!"

"Well then, let's go up to the top floor and save her, then!" Ratchet said.

"No way, man." Skidd replied. "He's expecting you. He's not expecting me."

"What! I can't let you go alone!" Ratchet said. "I already lost you once, and I don't want to do it again!"

"Dude, Angela's counting on me." Skidd replied. "I don't wanna let her down, man."

Ratchet sighed. "Okay. I can't say this enough, Skidd. Be careful."

"Don't worry about me, bro." Skidd said. "You dudes just try to keep the other thugs from helping their leader."

"We'll try, Skidd." Sasha said. "We'll come up with you to the top floor, but we'll leave taking out the leader to you."

The three reunited friends quickly found an elevator and climbed aboard. Inside, Ratchet pressed the button that would take them to the top floor.

During the ride up to the elevator, Skidd's nerves started getting the better of him again. This was it. He was about to charge headfirst into a battle with an enemy he knew nothing about. He didn't know what kind of firepower the leader would have, or if he was even alone. The only thing that kept Skidd pressing forward was the thought of saving Angela, and that alone was enough to boost Skidd's confidence, if only for a little bit.

Eventually, the elevator arrived at the top floor and all three friends got off. They quickly saw that the resulting hallway spread out in three directions.

Sasha sighed. "Well, this is just great." She said. "How do we find out which way takes up to the leader?"

"Watch and learn, Sasha." Ratchet replied with a smirk as he walked over to a lone thug with his back currently turned to the three. "Excuse me?"

The thug turned around. "Yes?"

"Which hallway takes up to the boss?"

"Oh." The thug pointed off down the far hallway. "Youse just take dat hallway until youse arrive at his office."

"Hey, thanks!"

"No problem." The thug started turning around again to resume his watch when he stopped himself. "Hey, wait a second!"

Ratchet smashed his wrench over the thug's head, knocking him out instantly. The lombax then went over to Skidd and Sasha. "Well Skidd, looks like you're going down the hallway on the left."

"Got it, dude." Skidd nodded. "Hopefully, I'll catch ya later."

"Hey, you just save Angela, okay?" Ratchet said. "From the sound of things and the way you've been acting, you've got feelings for her."

Skidd looked at the ground and nodded.

"Then you go to her and get her out of this." Ratchet continued. "Good luck, pal."

"Thanks, dude. You too."

With that, the group split up, Skidd going one way and Ratchet and Sasha going another.

As soon as Skidd was out of hearing range, Sasha looked at Ratchet sternly. "Who's this 'Angela'?" She asked suspiciously.

Ratchet quickly waved his hands in front of his face. "Hey, hey, hey! I swear, it's not what it sounds like, Sasha! She may have had a crush on me, but I promise nothing happened between us!"

Sasha chuckled. "Don't worry, Ratchet. I believe you." She assured. "Let's just take care of a few thugs."

(Meanwhile)

Skidd crept down the hallway, trying his hardest not to make any noise. So far, he hadn't found any stray thugs, and considered that a good thing, because now that he was so close to the leader, the slightest noise could alert him.

Soon, Skidd saw the end of the hallway. He noticed that the hallway led straight into a large room, probably the boss' office. Skidd gulped.

When Skidd got close enough, he saw that it was indeed the leader's office. The leader was standing aside, talking to a videophone image. He quickly saw Angela in the middle of the room, tied to a chair that sat on a slight platform. A cloth was tied over her mouth, gagging her. Skidd, relieved to see Angela alright, tiptoed into the room. It was then that he noticed whom the leader was talking to.

On the video screen, Al sighed. "Look, I'm telling you that Ratchet has been gone for hours! He. Is. NOT. Here."

The Thugs-4-Less leader scratched his head. "Uh…Okay. When he gets in, do youse think he could give me a call back?"

"I'll do my-"

"Yo, lizard-dude!"

The leader raised an eyebrow at the unfamiliar voice and turned his head. Al, on the other hand, looked shocked.

"Skidd?" He asked. "Is that Skidd?"

The leader saw what Al couldn't. What he saw was a Rilgarian standing at the doorway to his office, a Heavy Lancer aimed directly at the leader's head. Skidd, although he had a determined look on his face, was shaking like a leaf.

Angela turned her head at the voice and saw the owner at the door. She tried shouting 'Skidd!', but the cloth over her mouth muffled it all.

Although terrified, Skidd continued aiming his gun at the leader. "Let Angela go, man! D-Don't make me use force!"

"Who are youse, moron?" The leader asked.

"I'm the dude you shot d-down over Grelbin, man! And n-now you're holding my friend here, so I'm t-telling you to l-let her go!"

The leader smirked and pulled out a blaster. "I think not, moron. I'm waitin for dat Ratchet moron ta show up."

Skidd's response was to shoot the blaster out of the leader's hand. "He's not coming, man." He said, his confidence a little higher again. "And besides, how are you gonna beat me without a giant mech, dude? You had one against Ratchet and you STILL lost."

The leader once again smirked. "I may not have a mech this time, but I got something else." With that, he pressed a button on his suit.

Skidd watched as two wings sprouted from the leader's backpack, which in turn sprouted two missile-launchers. The wings lifted the leader off the ground, taking him up into the air.

"Scared yet, moron?" The leader asked.

Skidd was about to nod, but remembered that Angela was counting on him to finish the fight. He shook his head. "No way, man! I'll take you down, save Angela and get out of here in five minutes!"

"We'll see about that."

Almost instantly, several missiles fired from the launchers on the thug leader's wings, sending all of them straight at Skidd. The Rilgarian quickly jumped to the side and allowed the rockets to slam into he ground where he had been standing. Skidd fired several shots from the Heavy Lancer at the leader, but the lizard-like alien swerved to the side. The Lancer bolts then proceeded to bomb the ceiling of the office.

The leader flew to the other side of the office and pulled out a grenade. Smirking, the Thugs-4-Less boss hurled the grenade at Skidd. Skidd let out an awkward-sounding shout as he dove aside. The grenade lande don the ground, where it quickly exploded.

The leader continued firing missiles at Skidd. The Rilgarian quickly jumped behind a steel desk and covered himself behind it. The missiles slammed into the desk, bringing no harm to Skidd.

"Youse can't keep dis up forever, buddy!" The leader taunted. "Youse may as well come out and get dis over with!"

Skidd narrowed his eyes, pulled out his Megarocket Cannon and loaded it. "You're asking for it, dude!"

With that, Skidd jumped to his feet, spun around and fired a rocket at the airborne reptilian alien. The rocket slammed into one of the missile-launchers, destroying it completely.

The leader looked at the smoldering wreckage on his shoulder and growled. "Youse gonna pay for dat."

Skidd quickly jumped over the desk he was hiding behind and prepared to continue the onslaught. However, he suddenly remembered that he had only destroyed one of the two missile-launchers. The leader quickly fired several more missiles from the solo launcher in Skidd's direction.

The Rilgarian dove to the side and again allowed the missiles to strike the ground. However, just as Skidd was getting to his feet, the leader swooped down and drove his fists into Skidd's stomach.

And if that weren't enough, the leader continued flying upwards, this time taking Skidd with him. Once he had reached the ceiling of the office, he let go of Skidd, dropping the screaming Rilgarian to the ground, where he landed with a loud thud.

"Youse gonna die, and den I'll kill youse little girlfriend!" The leader snarled. "I was thinking dat Ratchet would come rescue her, but I guess I overestimated him."

In all honesty, the leader shouldn't have said that.

That last comment struck a nerve with Skidd. His eyes were wide, and yet narrowed at the same time. He started seething at the leader as he stood to his feet and pulled out the Megarocket Cannon again.

"YOU! (BLAM!) WILL! (BLAM!) NOT! (BLAM!) TOUCH! (BLAM!) ANGELA! (BLAM!) DUDE! (BLAMBLAMBLAM!)"

The last rocket not only destroyed the other missile-launcher, but obliterated the wing it was attached to as well. Without both wings, the leader could do nothing as he plummeted straight into the ground. Skidd walked over to him.

The leader looked up, and the last thing he saw was Skidd swinging his Megarocket Cannon down on his head.

Skidd turned from the now-unconscious Thugs-4-Less leader and rushed over to Angela, whom looked like she was trying to tell him something.

"Are you okay, Angela?" Skidd asked as he untied the knot in the cloth around her mouth. "He didn't like, hurt you or anything, did he?"

As soon as her mouth was free, Angela told Skidd what she wanted to say. "Get out of here, Skidd! While you still have time, run! Leave me!"

Skidd stepped back in surprise. "Angela, what's wrong? The bad dude's been beaten and you're safe and stuff."

"You don't understand, Skidd!" Angela cried desperately. "There's a bomb under this chair! It's set to go off any minute now!"