Chapter 2:

Moving on.

TW: themes of abuse.

Two years later...

"Ratchet...Ratchet... this is your girlfriend speaking...WAKE UP!!!!"

Ratchet stirrers awake from the sudden strong female speaking in his face as he sees a Black and White cat like creature on top of his chest. But she wasn't a lombax.

She was another endangered species called a Kraetsiz. This species is more like a cat, but they are the size of a large serval. But, here's the surprising part, they can also walk on two legs and act like any kind of two legged alien, especially a lombax.

Anyways, when Ratchet saw his dark furred girlfriend, he smiled at her and rubbed her ears.

The Kraetsiz just smirked at him, "Good morning sleepyhead" she said.

"Good morning Cleo." Ratchet said with a tired voice.

"sleep well?" Cleo asked, nuzzling her love in affection.

"Yeah. I did." Ratchet replied with a soft smile.

"Say, let's go get some breakfast." Cleo purred, "I'm cooking my favourite: French Toast."

"Ok..." Ratchet said with a tired sigh, he wasn't a fond of French Toast, but he couldn't really say no to her, because if he does, she'll get pretty nasty with him.

Cleopatra, or just Cleo for short, was a very prideful Kraetsiz. She expects Ratchet to give her expensive gifts and she gets nasty with him if he gives her something lower than 500. But he's trying his very best to make her happy.

But when Cleo is in her bossy moods, he thinks about one person: Rivet.

He misses her so much and wishes that she was here to give Cleo a metal slap in the face. But what was he thinking? Rivet is gone! Cleo is his girlfriend! NOT! RIVET! *sigh* What is he saying?

Anyways, Ratchet got out of bed and got dressed before going downstairs to meet his girlfriend, Who had just finished making French Toast; The thing that he has to eat and pretend to like to make her happy. After they finished eating breakfast, Cleo makes yet another request: "can we fly your spaceship to the mall? Plz?"

Ratchet sighs, "ok Cleo. We can go to the mall at Megalopolis. Besides me and Clank have to meet up with The Galactic Rangers there."

"and while you're at it can you give me your credit card?" Cleo asked, giving him her kitty cat eyes.

"OK OK. You can have my credit card" Ratchet agreed with a sigh, "but don't use too much! We don't want to go bankrupt here!"

Cleo just gave him a look. it was smirky and Mischievous, kind of like Rivet. But it wasn't a Rivet smirk, that's for sure.

"OK I'll be careful." She said carefully, "but you know me Ratchy. I can't help myself."

As Cleo hopped into the spaceship, Clank walks over to Ratchet. Ratchets smiles from the side of his old friend.

"Good Morning Clank." He said with a smile.

"You too Ratchet." Clank replied politely, "Are you and Cleo planning to go to Megalopolis?"

"Yes Scrappy!" Cleo sneered, "I'm going to the mall while you guys continue with your "Galactic Ranger" job!"

Ratchet just grimaced. He hated when Cleo calls his best friend "Scrappy". Clank seems to hate being called that also because he always gives Cleo a stern glare after she calls him that.

"anyways, should we get going?" Cleo asked.

Ratchet rolls his eyes, "Yes Cleo...we're going."

Soon enough, the lombax and robot hopped into the spaceship and they're off to Megalopolis.

Meanwhile, in Rivet's dimension.

Several aliens were enjoying their drinks and the music, especially a skinny blue robot pirate named Pierre LeFair who was bragging to his buddies about his latest victory to a bar mate who wanted to fight.

As he continued bragging, he stopped from the sound of a familiar female voice, but she wasn't talking to him, "Give me a small bar please. Cold."

Pierre LeFair looks over to see his rival Rivet sitting next to him. But she was different then usual. She was wearing a dark, almost black, purple hoodie with her hood up and dark sunglasses. She looked like she was depressed and is always keep her head down like actual city girl who went out of her comfort zone. This worried Pierre for once. She's his rival, true, but rivals can be close friends. right?

"Hey mademoiselle." Pierre greeted her with his usual cocky voice that usually annoys her.

Rivet didn't even turn to him, she only gave him a small glance, "Hey Pierre..." she answered, Her voice was low and depressing. She wasn't herself at all.

"Hey. Are you OK?" Pierre asked calmly after shooing his friends away, "I know you're my rival, but you're not yourself. And I'm worried about you."

"oh you're worried about me now?" Rivet snaps, her voice began to grow louder and angrier. This startles Pierre little bit. She does talks to him with a snappy tone, but she never actually snaps at him like that.

"Rivet..." Pierre spoke carefully, but was immediately interrupted when Rivet slams her drink glass down hard after she finishes her beverage, making the whole bar table shake.

"I don't have any time and energy for your stupid challenges!" She snarled, "do you even have a heart, Pierre? Do you?"

Pierre tried to answer, but the angry lombax continued.

"Pffffft...of course not..." she growled, "because you're just a STUPID ROBOT!!!!"

This caught everyone's attention. The people at the bar looked at Riv with pure disgust in their eyes. Rivet just growled loudly before marching out, only to be accidentally slammed to the ground by a bigger robot. The impact caused her sunglasses and hood to come off.

"HEY!!!" She yowled, "WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING YOU STUPID GENIUS!!!"

As she said it, Rivet turned her head towards the bigger robot, revealing what she was hiding under the sunglasses and hood. Everyone gasped. She had cuts and bruises all over her face, The main injuries that they found was a large triangular shaped chunk taken out of her left ear and a large bruise on the side of her left eye.

Rivet took off before anyone can ask concerning questions about her bruises and rushed out of the bar. Kit was looking for her after she and her new boyfriend, Jackson, had yet another argument. Then saw Rivet busting through the bar doors with overwhelming tears in her eyes. She stops and screams all of her emotions out. Kit just looked at her pure sadness in her eyes before walking towards her friend and hugging her leg. Rivet saw her and immediately crouches down to Kit's height, picks her up and hugs her, having another breakdown.

Kit hugs her neck comfortingly for a long time before saying, "Rivet, you should talk to someone about this..."

"Talk to someone!?" Rivet echoed, "but Jackson said-"

"Who cares what he saids!" Kit said strongly, "you've been together with that selfish astroid for years Rivet! TWO YEARS!!! And you're getting depressed because of him! You need to talk to someone! Like a psychiatrist or a family member or a friend!"

Rivet lowered her head, it was true. She was getting depressed...and more timid. Her boyfriend, A Flix named Jackson, was literally insane. He thinks that girls are weak and that they only exist to have sex and to give birth.

After along sigh, Rivet spoke, "I wish Ratchet was here..." her voice was back to it's low and depressing state.

Kit nods softly at her, understanding her grief. "I know..." she said, "I miss them too, especially Clank.."

"you in love with him?" Rivet teased.

Kit then begin steaming, "no!" She Said, "I just miss him for the same reason why you miss Ratchet, that's all!"

"I'm only kidding Kit!" Said Rivet with a smirk.

Kit smiles and she hugs Riv again, happy to see some of her personality come back.

Rivet then once again sighs, "You're right..." she said, "I think I should talk to someone..."

Kit perks up when she heard that, "Really?" She exclaimed, "Who?"

Rivet just looks at her.

"to some old friends of mine..."