Chapter 3:
The New Ranger.
In Ratchet's Universe.
Ratchet, Clank and Cleo made it to Megalopolis. It haven't changed after the rebuild of the city two years ago.
Cleo was just filing her claws while Ratchet parked his ship in the galactic ranger parking lot. The trio got out and Ratchet gave his girlfriend his credit card.
"Here you go Cleo." Said Ratchet, "just remember what I said before we got her-"
"thank you honey." Cleo spoke as fast as lightning as she grabbed the credit card and ran off to the mall.
Ratchet was surprised, but Clank was suspicious.
"Ratchet, I need to talk to you." Clank began as they began their journey into G.R Base.
"What is it Clank?" Ratchet replied, confused but willing to listen to his best friend, "I'm all ears."
"I know you have a big heart and I don't want that to change about you." Clank said, "but do you think you're being a little...you know...too kind to Cleo?"
Ratch just cocks an eyebrow, "what do you mean?"
"well, you're letting her use your credit card a lot." Clank explained, "if you keep doing this, you'll go bankrupt! So what I'm saying is that you need to put boundaries for Cleo. Like make her get a job! Get her own credit card! And for once let you eat anything but French toast every morning! Let you eat something that you love, like a breakfast grill cheese sandwich! You love those."
Ratchet listens carefully and nods, "yeah you're right buddy, but here's the problem." He said, "Cleo is very prideful at times. If I just be honest with her like dislike her French toast or tell her off about the bankruptcy or even my thoughts about boundaries, she gets upset and threatens to do many bad things to me..."
"What kind of threats?" Clank asks calmly.
Ratchet just slumped down on a bench and hides his face with his hands. Clank sat next to him and places a soft hand on his lap.
"you can tell me Ratchet." He said, "I'm here for you all the way."
Ratchet unhid his face, revealing that he was crying, "well she threatened to break up with me, mostly, but...she also threatened to make me suffer..."
Clank was shocked "suffer?!" He echoed, "physically or mentally..."
"B-Both..." Ratchet answers with a large crack in his voice, "One time she threatened to send some embarrassing pics of me and say gossip about it. S-She even threatened to rip my eyes out since I was already "so blind"!!!"
As Ratchet began to break down from the memories of his abuse, Clank hugs him causing the lombax to pick him up and hug him tight (kinda how Rivet hugged Kit in the last chapter). Clank can feel his friend shivering from his fear and heartbreak, making the robot feel even more sorry for not noticing the manipulation and verbal abuse that his friend was going through.
"Ratchet? Hey, what's the matter?" A female voice spoke behind him as Cora Veralux, along with Brax Lectrus, we're looking at him with concern in their eyes. Ratchet looked at his follow crewmates, though trying to not show that he was crying, but Cora had already noticed.
Cora walks towards the lombax and also hugs him in comfort, making Ratchet then breaks down once again.
"That's right buddy. Let it all out." Said Brax as he pats his back comfortingly.
After little while of letting his emotions out, Ratchet tells al the Galactic Rangers about his relationship with Cleo. Everyone, including Captain Qwark, were in complete shock.
"You should have broke up with that crazy Kraetsiz a long time ago!" Brax snarled, slamming his fist on the table, "if she told those threats to me, I would've made her go to the hospital for some plastic surgery!"
"Brax!" Cora scolded, punching his shoulder, " I know, Cleo is A full-blown psychopath, but you're not supposed to hit a lady, even how crazy and psychotic she is."
"now, now, rangers!" Qwark added, trying to calm the situation down, even though it looks like he's about to invite them to a party to calm down, "let's get to the point of the meeting."
The two try to protest, but Ratchet spoke up, "yeah...we should..."
Qwark then clears his throat, "I would like to introduce you to our newest member of the rangers." Qwark said, "he's a bit shy and small but-"
"actually I'm NOT shy!" A young adult male voice spoke has several binders and papers were flung onto the table, "I'm actually pretty excited for this."
The small figure then pulls up a chair as a golden furred Kraetsiz hops on The chair.
'Great! another crazy Kraetsiz I have to deal with...' Ratchet thought in his mind.
"Everyone, this is Lincoln Forest." Said Qwark, "he is going to be the newest member of the galactic rangers. He's also a good spy."
"And paramedic." Lincoln added remindingly, "I was actually the top of my class in the paramedic academy."
Lincoln Forest was, surprisingly, 1-year-older then Ratchet when he first joined The Galactic Rangers. His eyes were like nothing that Ratchet ever seen. He never saw any type of alien with heterochromia before. Link also has A silver tooth, making Ratchet A tiny bit suspicious. What is that silver tooth was some kind of spying device, since he was a good spy?
(FYI: Ratchet is now 25, soon 26 , which makes Rivet 25 as well. There you go.)
"oh sorry to bother you with the weird coloured tooth." Said Lincoln when he notices that Ratchet was looking at his silver tooth, "I got into a fight with some stupid bullies when I was 12 and I got expelled from school. I created this spy tooth actually. But don't worry, it's turned off for this occasion."
Ratchet sighs in relief, "ok...but it's really cool that you made that spy tooth yourself."
"why thank you." Said Lincoln with a smile, "and you must be Ratchet and Clank! I'm a huge fan of you guys ever since I was 5. Like how you two save the city by using magnetic waves from your ship, that was so cool and smart. It's sad that you passed the recruitment test and was STILL rejected at first, but good thing Qwark decided to let you in afterwards."
Ratchet looks at one of the binders that was labelled "doodles and drawings". He picks it up which catches Link's attention, "oh those are my doodles." He said, "Most of them are of you and Clank. I have some of the other rangers, but mostly of you two."
Ratchet flips through the binder, he was right, it was mostly of him and Clank, Link must've been a huge fan. But there was one drawing that caught Ratchet's eye.
"oh that's just a sketch of the female lombax from two years ago." Lincoln replied when he saw that Ratchet had seen the drawing, "I decide to stop since I forget what she looks like. The only thing I know is that she was a lombax just like you and was female and it's pretty old, I drew it two years ago."
Ratchet just smiled softly at both the picture and Lincoln, "I think it's pretty cool for a sketch." He said, "maybe when you meet her again...someday, you can finish this drawing."
Lincoln smiles and nods softly.
"alright! meeting dismissed!" Captain Qwark announced.
Ratchet noticed that Lincoln's ears perked back from Qwark's blooming voice. Ratchet has good hearing but his leader's voice wasn't that loud for his ears to go back like that. He wanted to ask Link about it but he shrugged it off reminding himself that it's his first day and he'll get used to Qwark's extremely annoying and loud voice.
Ratchet then took out his phone and walks to Link. "do you have a phone?" He asked.
Lincoln ears perked up when Ratchet asked that, "Yeah."
"I'd like to have your number." Ratchet replied with a warm smile, "since were now working together."
Lincoln's heterochromia eyes lit up, "OK! sure!" Lincoln writes down his phone number on a piece of paper and passes it to Ratchet.
"Now, if you need anything from me or if you want to hang out or have a conversation, you can you call me."
"Thank you!...Ratchet!" Lincoln spoke in a happy voice.
"no problem Link." Ratchet said with a smile, "and you can call me Ratch." He gives the young Kraetsiz A wink before turning around and leaving.
When Ratchet and Clank got back to the ship, they saw that Cleo was waiting for them inside. They both jumped into the ship before Cleo notices that her boyfriend was smiling.
"Soooo..." Cleo began, "how was your meeting, honey?"
Ratchet just turned to her, "we have a new recruit." He replied, "he's a Kratz. Just like you honey."
"oh really?" Cleo purred, "what's his name?"
"Lincoln." Ratchet replies very simply, "his name is Lincoln."
When he said that Cleo's friendly expression changes as she turns back to the front of the ship. "Hey." Ratchet spoke, noticing his girlfriend strange behaviour, "are you OK?"
"RATCHET JUST...just drive..."
Ratchet was shocked over Cleo's almost big outburst and does what she requested. Clank just gives him a slight look which tells him;
"Ratchet, you need to act fast before this relationship gets out of hand..."