The Council's meeting room was large, organized as a small amphitheater with thirty seats in increasingly higher rows all facing a focal point towards the front of the room, to a small podium where the leader of the meeting stood. Behind it was a large space and an equally large screen, should the meeting in question involve a demonstration of an invention or some sort of visual aid. All thirty seats were filled, except for one between Julie and Mags in the front, where Kaden would normally sit.
That's because right now, he stood at the podium, an all-too familiar position from his years and years of appeals, facing this supposedly elite crowd of individuals composed of geniuses, the wealthy, politically powerful, or anyone else otherwise distinguished enough to lead Lombax society as a whole.
He hated standing here, because the room's amphitheater design meant that they had to quite literally look down on him from their higher-positioned seats, increasing their looks of smug superiority as if it was a conscious design choice. And knowing these pompous bastards, he didn't doubt that was the case.
Thankfully, he, Julie, and Mags were the last ones to arrive, waiting a moment to run through his plan of what he expects to say and do, but mostly to give everyone else the time to show up. He hated nothing more than when someone was late, forcing him to stand there under the scrutinizing gaze of the rest of the Council until everyone was present.
It used to unease him at first, but as the years went by, it only served to anger him even more. In fact, even now, he was starting to feel that resentment beginning to rise up once more, seeing them all look at him with annoyance and irritation at forcing them to attend yet another appeal. The fact that his desperate pleas to save the only family he had left amounted to nothing more than a trivial waste of their precious time infuriated him to no end.
The room was filled with idle chatter among the Councilmembers as they waited for the meeting to start. There were too many to focus on one singular conversation, so he could only hear snippets of their discussions. Some were of breakthroughs that they were excited to share, some were of problems they were struggling through in their work, and some were just talking about what they and their friends are planning for the weekend.
But many more were complaining at having to come to yet another one of these meetings.
"We all know his son's dead, why do we have to come here?"
"I wonder if he's going to pull out another invention to try and convince us."
"This is honestly just sad at this point. My child died in the Exodus, but I'm not wasting everyone's time asking for her back."
Kaden closes his eyes, trying to shut out their voices, and takes deep breaths to calm down, something that he practically has down to a science with how often he needs to do so. Breathe in, count to three, breathe out, count to three. Repeat several times as needed, all while thinking happy thoughts that may or may not involve assault towards the Lombaxes in front of him.
Assured that he has settled his anger enough to talk rationally, Kaden opens his eyes while clearing his throat.
"Is everyone present?" He begins with the usual formality. "Speak now if that is not the case."
The idle conversations among the Council grow silent, the lack of objections signifying the beginning of the meeting.
He nods. "Then this meeting of the Council of the Center for Advanced Lombax Research may begin." He declares. "As you all know, today is the day for my appeal to commission a Dimensionator that I may use to rescue my son from the dimension we all left twenty years ago in the Great Exodus."
A wave of groans goes through the crowd, an unfortunately usual response.
"Kaden, it has been twenty years." A Councilman speaks. "We have never granted your appeal, and we will not now."
"And some of us have more important matters to attend to rather than entertain the notion of a foolish endeavor to save a Lombax that likely isn't even alive." Another adds, rousing a round of agreements from nearby Councilmembers.
"You need to accept the fact that he's dead, Kaden." A Councilwoman says. "A Lombax living under the rule of a genocidal manic is optimistic at best, and a delusion at worst. You need to stop wasting our time with this."
Kaden feels the fury bubbling up again, and he has to start taking deep breaths once more. Even though he's had to listen to this shit for over twenty years, it never once failed to provoke him into a primal rage. Hearing these bastards say these things was almost as bad as when Tachyon said he dug up Marie's grave, but he always thought that this was worse because he at least had the luxury to attempt to kill Tachyon for his words.
But instead, he was forced to stand here and endure these bastards telling him he was an idiot for thinking his son isn't dead. Over half the people in this room don't even have a child, and yet, they think they're entitled to tell a father how to feel? Even knowing that Ratchet was safe and alive just beyond the doors behind him was hardly able to quell the anger growing within him.
"Please, just listen to him." Mags speaks up tiredly. "We owe him that much as fellow Councilmembers."
"And why do you and Julie support this drivel?" A more elderly Councilman asks. "You may have disobeyed us once in saving Kaden, but it will not happen again, unless you wish to find your way out of this Council for good."
"It's because we believe all Lombaxes deserve salvation from Tachyon, especially those that other people are too cowardly to save." Julie bites back.
"The only thing you are hoping to save by now is an old, rotting pile of bones, and I hardly think that's worth the danger in risking another interaction with that Cragmite."
"Oh, really? If an old pile of bones is really that worthless, then why did they let you onto the Council, Harold?" Julie replies smugly.
Harold seethes as he scowls at Julie with an icy stare, to which she simply returns a grin as she props her head on her hand, staring right back at him while Mags shakes his head slowly next to her.
"Why, you insolent little—"
"Everyone, please, calm down." Kaden speaks up, raising his hand before an altercation breaks out, which it has several times before, almost always instigated by Julie as well. "Because today, I am not here to voice my appeal. I am here to announce that I have ceased the search for my son."
Half the room gasps while the other half stare at Kaden in frozen shock, the only exception being Mags and Julie, who instead start to smirk right along with Kaden, the vindication in seeing their stunned faces tasting all too sweet.
"Have… have you finally listened to reason, Kaden?!" A Councilwoman asks.
"If you are asking that I finally conceded and accepted that he is dead as you say, then no. Hell no. I am ceasing the search because I have found him. Alive."
"What do you mean? Where could you have possibly found him?"
"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Kaden asks as he turns around toward the doors while the room behind him erupts into conversation amongst themselves, asking each other if he's really right, or if he's gone mad, or if this is another elaborate attempt at getting his appeal accepted.
He opens the door slightly, poking his head out to see Ratchet sitting on a nearby bench in the hall with Clank sitting beside him, inspecting all the pictures on the wall about the various Councilmembers.
"You ready?" Kaden asks.
Ratchet snaps his head to him, not noticing the door opening, but gives a smile and a nod as he hops off the bench, Clank following behind. "Sure am. But are they ready?"
Kaden grins. "Not at all. Let's go and bring you back from the dead."
Ratchet gives Clank a questioning look at that statement, but walks up to the door regardless. And as he does, Kaden opens it entirely, instantly silencing the whole room as Ratchet and Clank walk up to the podium, a little apprehensive at being in the spotlight like this. Kaden closes the door behind him and joins them by their side.
He places his hand on Rachet's shoulder with a grin. "Everyone, meet Ratchet. Or as you may know him, my dead son, Kieran. And his friend, Clank."
"Uh… hey." Ratchet greets nervously with a small wave, unprepared for the intimidating look of the Council's probing attention on him.
"Greetings, it is a pleasure to meet you all." Clank greets casually, seemingly unfazed by their stares.
No one says anything as they gawk at Ratchet in disbelief. He could see how many of them appear to look between him and his father, who he sees is wearing a grin of absolute satisfaction, something that clearly communicated 'I told you so'. He couldn't really blame him, if he was right about this Council saying he's been dead for all this time. He thought it was a little ridiculous to believe, but judging by the way they all look like they've seen a ghost, it seemed like it was true after all.
"Wow!" Julie suddenly exclaims in mock surprise, breaking the tense silence. "Just look at that old pile of rotting bones, huh?" She says she looks right at Harold. "Maybe you guys can talk it out and figure out how he looks twice as alive as you do."
Mags reaches across the empty seat and places his hand on her shoulder. "Julie, now is not the time."
The elderly Councilman scowls at her once more before returning his attention to Kaden. "Pretending that I didn't hear that last comment, correct me if I'm wrong in saying that this individual before us is the Lombax involved in this morning's chase across the city?"
"That's because he is." Kaden confirms, removing his hand from Ratchet's shoulder as he returns to standing behind the podium.
"And you decided to bring a criminal here right before us? Why would you do something so reckless, Kaden?" A Councilwoman scolds him.
"Because he is my son. And his current criminal status is actually the very reason I am holding this meeting today, because I wish for you all to grant him a pardon."
A Councilman scoffs. "And why would we do something like that? Even if this Lombax is your son, isn't he also accused of possessing a Dimensionator? When you were arrested for the very same thing, you were only forgiven because you were a hero. But what excuse does he have? Because I'm afraid nepotism isn't enough for us to pardon his crime."
"Why, I think he has the greatest possible reason for why he should be forgiven for having a Dimensionator. In fact, I believe that because of what he's done, you will have no choice but to repeal your asinine prohibition on Dimensionators entirely, on top of his pardon."
More than a few Councilmembers laugh at his statement, but it doesn't waver Kaden one bit. In fact, he only smiles, as he knows they won't be laughing when they hear why he thinks that.
"And what is this supposedly magnificent reason of why we should do such a thing?"
"You all only instituted your ban because you're all too afraid of encountering Tachyon again, be it accidental or otherwise. And no matter how many times I tell you that the chances of having him invade us once again is astronomical, you never listen. But now, you have no excuse."
He gestures his arm towards Ratchet. "Because, you see, my son has made a name for himself as an intergalactic hero in the other dimension. And as a result, he has fought and defeated Tachyon himself."
Upon hearing this, some of the Council gasp, others begin asking themselves if he could actually be right, and the rest call him an outright liar. A natural reaction, he supposed, but before the room could boil down to chaos, he raises his hand, holding a holotape as he speaks once more.
"I know that is a serious and possibly outlandish claim, but using a MemoReader, I recorded his memories myself. And after you see this, then I doubt that any of you would object to my request. So, without further delay, just allow me to take a moment and play—"
"Wait a moment, Kaden." The Councilman Harold speaks up once more, making him pause. "How do you know this is your son?"
Kaden gives him a confused look. "What do you mean? Does he not look like my son?" He asks, gesturing to Ratchet.
"While I must admit the resemblance is remarkable, that alone isn't enough to back up a claim of your magnitude." He states. "What else have you done to prove your relation to this Lombax?"
Ratchet gives Kaden a questioning glance, remembering how he said this pardon was going to be a walk in the park. Kaden also returns a puzzled look, but answers him anyway.
"I asked him questions only he would know, like where he grew up in the other dimension, and his lack of knowledge of our culture and technology could only result from that as well." He says pointedly.
"But you don't have a blood test? Or any other form of concrete proof that doesn't rely on us just taking your word for it?" He rebuttals.
He holds up the holotape in his hand in emphasis. "I recorded his memories of Tachyon! Isn't that enough to prove that he was from the previous dimension, and as a result, my son?"
"And how do we know that isn't forged? I highly doubt that you're above utilizing tricks like those to fool us."
Kaden frowns at him. "What are you implying?"
"I'm implying that this seems like some elaborate scheme for us to grant your appeal unwittingly, Kaden." He says coldly.
"And what scheme is that?" He asks, his patience starting to wear thin. "Have I not already said I'm not here to voice my appeal?"
"And yet, you're still asking us to repeal our ban on Dimensionators." He returns. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but like all of us, you too saw this Lombax on the news this morning, and couldn't deny you shared a great physical resemblance with each other. And once you saw that he was accused of owning a Dimensionator, you saw an opportunity."
"If you spoke with this Lombax yourself, you would promise that he would get a full pardon for his crimes if he played the role of your dead son. Not only that, but tell him that he had slain Tachyon, and as a result, take us for fools and have us believe that ridiculous lie, and agree to renounce the Dimensionator prohibition."
"As a result, this random Lombax you plotted with gets to go free for his troubles, and with the prohibition lifted, it would allow you an opportunity to construct one and find your dead son yourself, jeopardizing all of us while Tachyon still lives and breathes, and not dead as you're attempting to convince us now."
Another wave of murmurs goes throughout the room, almost all of which are agreements with his conspiracy theory. Julie and Mags only sit and stare at him in disbelief along with Ratchet, who is starting to think that Kaden's constant insults about this Council were an understatement.
Kaden scowls, taking almost everything within him to not completely lose his temper. "I wish I could have come up with that long ago, but you're wrong. Dead wrong."
"And how so?" He says, with a smirk on his face.
"If I conspired with this 'random Lombax' as you put it, then why would he have a Dimensionator before I met him?"
"Maybe you met with him prior and crafted an immaculate replica for him to be caught with. After all, the only reason it could look so real is if the Keeper himself built it for him."
"It is not a replica!" Kaden argues back. "I know it's the real thing, it's the same one I hid!"
"Then show it to us and prove it." He retorts coolly. "After all, if you took the trouble to have the City Guard release him under your supervision, then surely you let them return the Dimensionator as well."
"I… I didn't." He states with a huff.
"I knew we should've asked." Ratchet mutters under his breath.
Kaden turns to him and gives him an icy stare, making him instantly regret saying anything at all. "Not. Now." He says to him with gritted teeth.
"So, in other words, I am right, then?" Harold asks smugly.
"No, you're wrong!" Kaden yells back up to him. "This is my son, and you're just too proud to admit that you've been wrong about him this entire time!"
"No, I'm just concerned about the well-being of every Lombax in this dimension, as I am not willing to risk another encounter with Tachyon just so you could selfishly endanger all of us for a single Lombax that, as we have told you time and time again, is dead."
Kaden clenches his fist tightly as he stares into the Councilman's eyes, which were beginning to fill with a concerned sympathy, as if he was talking to a hurt child.
He sighs. "Really, Kaden, this is unhealthy for you. We all lost someone dear to us in the Great Exodus, and there is not a single person in this room who wouldn't want them back. But do you know why none of us stand there as you have every month? It's because we don't delude ourselves in thinking they're still alive. Any unfortunate Lombax that was trapped on the other side was killed by Tachyon, something you saw for yourself when you returned to Fastoon. It's what happened to Marie, after all, and almost yourself, and most certainly your son. And if you were able to come to terms with her death, then why not his?"
Kaden could feel something snap within him as his mouth unconsciously curls into a snarl, no longer caring that this was the Council before him. Ratchet, standing next to him, sees this as well, and takes a small step back, a little frightened by the intensity of his fury as he snaps his finger up towards the Councilman.
"You do NOT get to say her name, you son of a bitch!" Kaden yells to him, prompting some shocked gasps from the Council, but Harold only frowns. "I'm not moving on from my son because he is standing right here, living and breathing right in front of you, but you still insist he's dead! You're just scared to admit that I was right all along, that he was alive this entire time, so instead, you're just calling me a liar and a sick man who can't accept that his family is gone! And you have the audacity to talk about my wife like that'll help me, but it won't! I never doubted that Marie is dead, because I had to sit there and watch—no, feel her die in my fucking arms, you bastard!"
"Kaden, calm down." He says softly.
"No, I won't! The fact that I haven't gone up there and strangled you yet is evidence enough that I'm calm!" He yells, tears starting to spill from his eyes. "Just what is wrong with you people?! Do you know how it feels to be told your child is dead month after month, year after year, helpless to do anything but listen?! Do you know what it's like to make a promise to the love of your life in her final moments, only to have a handful of arrogant, self-righteous assholes prevent you from fulfilling it?! Do you know how it feels to cry yourself to sleep, wishing to anything and everything to hold your son in your arms again?! Do you?! Because let me tell you, it is nothing short of a living hell that not even fighting Tachyon can compare to!"
He pauses for a moment to take a breath and wipe the tears from his eyes, the Council sitting in a stunned silence from his outburst.
"I've had to live that way for over twenty years of my life, enduring all of that pain so that maybe, just maybe, I can see my child again. I'm not a weak man by any means if I was able to fight Tachyon and live to tell the tale, but there is only so much pain I can go through before it starts to break me. And no matter how many times you give me your sympathies and condolences for my loss, I know that deep down, that's all what you want, just so I don't have the nerve to take time out of your precious day to only deny me once again. I swore that I'd never give any of you the satisfaction of wearing me down to my breaking point, but you know what? You almost won today."
"I began to think that my fight against you all really is as pointless as you say. If you haven't ever listened to me for the past 200 months, then what will make you listen now? Is it really worth trying to save my son if he was able to grow up and live an entire life without me? Why should I torture myself any longer by dreaming for the family that I'll never realistically get the chance to see again? Because of you all, I started to believe that my son was well and truly gone forever. I was about to walk into this room and tell you all that I give up, and that I am ready to try and move on with my life. I hated the idea, but I knew it was going to be my only choice."
Kaden then turns away from the podium, and looks to Ratchet, who has been standing there the entire time in a shocked silence. But as Kaden looks to him, he feels his anger let up ever so slightly, and a faint smile crosses his lips. He walks over to stand right next to Ratchet, before turning back to the Council once more whilst resting his hand on his shoulder.
"But then I looked up and saw the news. And when I saw this troublemaker here getting arrested with a Dimensionator, I didn't feel devastated anymore. I felt hope. Something I haven't been able to feel in years. And when I ran down to the City Guard headquarters, and met with this Lombax face-to-face, I was happy. Happy that I was right all along in thinking that my son was alive, and beyond overjoyed that he was right here with me. And when I held him in my arms like I promised myself over twenty years ago, it was indescribable. I felt complete. Excited for the future. For the first time in forever, I could be a father again."
He removes his hand from Ratchet's shoulder, and instead places it on his opposite arm, taking him into a strong side-hug that he nearly stumbles from, but Kaden remained solidly planted on the ground with a furious determination on his features.
"This is my son, dammit." He speaks firmly. "You have split my family apart for twenty years, but now is your chance to right your wrong. Now that he's finally back in my life, I want you, for once in your lives, to just swallow your pride, and do what I am asking. Because if you don't, then I can assure you: I will not lose him again." He finishes coldly.
At first, no one says anything. He glances over to Mags and Julie, who, even though they knew that threat wasn't directed towards them, slightly flinched as he looked at them. Kaden sees this, and he realizes that he must have been holding a menacing face, as he has to relax his features in order to give them a small, reassuring smile.
It seemed to have worked, as they then respond with a nod and a double thumbs-up, respectively, silently congratulating him for his speech. He looks down to Ratchet, still taken in his side-hug, and sees that he looks a little intimidated by him by the look on his face.
"Remind me not to piss you off anytime soon." Ratchet says to him.
"Don't worry, I don't think you'll do anything to gain my wrath like these bastards did." Kaden assures him.
"Those were… definitely powerful words, Kaden." Harold speaks up, albeit softer than his previous accusatory tone. "But even then, if we are to vote on a matter of such magnitude by repealing the ban on Dimensionators, then we must be 100% confident that everything you are saying is true."
"He's right. If there's anything we learned from Alister's mistake, it is that there must be zero doubts in deciding something that could affect Lombaxes to such a degree." A Councilwoman adds. "If you are wrong about Tachyon's death, and we allow the use of Dimensionators once more, the mere chance of accidentally meeting that Cragmite is too risky."
Several other Councilmembers speak in agreement with their statements, making Kaden frown slightly.
"Then let me play this holotape so I can prove that I am not lying, then!" He says, removing his arm from Ratchet to produce it once more from his pocket.
"We still do not know for a fact that holotape is not a forgery. Do you possibly have any other means of proving yourself?" A Councilman asks.
"Wha—I just told you that I don't!" Kaden replies, beginning to get angry again. "Did you not listen to me after everything I said, you—"
"I've got a suggestion." Ratchet interjects, making Kaden and rest of the Council look back to him in surprise. "Do you guys have one of those MemoReader things in this place? Can't I just record them right here and now to prove that I'm telling the truth if you're all so worried about fakes?" He proposes.
After a moment, the Council begins to talk amongst themselves at his suggestion, and fortunately, the snippets of the several conversations they hear sound to be in agreement with the idea. Kaden feels the anger within him simmering down, and instead replaced with hopefulness, and also pride that his son was the one to come up with it.
He gently nudges Ratchet with his elbow. "Nice thinking."
Ratchet returns a proud smile. "Well, part of being a hero is being able to come up good ideas on the fly, and it's a whole lot easier to do when you're not getting shot at, too."
"And also, when you have a partner who does most of the thinking for you." Clank adds beside him.
Ratchet gently kicks him with the side of his foot. "Hey, I didn't hear you come up any ideas this time, Clank."
"Actually, I was going to suggest playing my own memories of our battle with Tachyon." He replies.
"And what makes them think we didn't just program those memories into you if they're all so damn paranoid?" Ratchet returns while raising an eyebrow.
Clank opens his mouth whilst raising a finger to answer, but after a moment, he slowly lowers it as he instead opts to just close his mouth.
Ratchet gives a smug smile. "That's what I thought."
Kaden chuckles at their exchange as he returns to the podium after hearing the conversations die down a little.
"Now that you've had a moment to think, who is in favor of calling a recess so that we may record Ratchet's memories?" He asks.
The majority of the Council raises their hands, a sight that he takes a moment to marvel at, never thinking he'd actually be able to see this. He grins with a nod.
"It is decided, then. This meeting will reconvene in ten minutes, where we will show you that we are in fact telling the truth, and that you've all been wrong this entire time." There are more than a few scoffs in the crowd as he turns back to Ratchet. "We have a MemoReader just down the hall here, I'll go ahead and set it up—"
"Not so fast, Kaden." Harold speaks up once more, making Kaden pause while also bracing himself for just what the hell he has to say now. "If we are to have complete confidence in the validity of these memories, then I think we need to have someone unbiased to record them. Unless, of course, you're worried about being caught red-handed in your lie?"
Kaden grins. "Not at all. In fact, why don't you have the honors, Harold?" He says as he gestures towards Ratchet in a grandiose fashion.
He stands up as he grabs a cane next to his seat. "Gladly."
And with that, the rest of the Council decide to resume to whatever idle conversations they were engaging in prior to the meeting. Ratchet was thankful, honestly, because with Kaden returning to his seat with Mags and Julie, he was left all alone in the center of the room as he waits for Harold to reach him. He distantly pondered why this guy had to use a cane, since if Lombaxes were smart enough to find a way to make memories, then they sure as hell must have found a way to let old men move faster than a limping walk.
But, eventually, the elderly Councilman makes his way to Ratchet, and pauses to give him a quick look over with his aged eyes before giving a small frown.
"What's up, uh… Harold?" Ratchet greets.
"Let's make this quick." Harold says irritably while turning away towards the doors. "I've important matters to attend to after this, and I haven't anticipated this meeting taking this long."
"…Good to meet you too, then." Ratchet replies. "Come on, Clank. Don't want to keep this guy waiting, I guess."
"No, leave the robot." The Councilman says over his shoulder. "I do not trust it. It may tamper with the MemoReader."
"Okay, first off, 'it' is a 'he'." Ratchet says irritably. "And second, he's never even seen a MemoReader before, so how could he possibly tamper with it?"
"Did I stutter?"
Ratchet holds up his hands in disbelief, but as he sees him simply continue his walk towards the door, he instead just groans. He then feels Clank rest his hand on his leg, and glances over to see him give a reassuring look. "Do not worry about me, Ratchet. I will just wait with your father and his friends in the meantime."
Ratchet sighs. "I'm not worried about you, pal, I just didn't expect these guys to be such jerks, is all."
"Then it'll be all the better once they see you're right, then, won't it?"
Ratchet grins. "That's true."
"What are you waiting for, boy?" Harold suddenly asks beside the door. "I told you I'm busy."
"Boy?" Ratchet grumbles angrily under his breath. "Sorry, I was just trying to figure out if you were supposed to be a white-furred Lombax, or if you're just that old." He explains casually while walking over to him.
Harold scowls. "Of course I'm white-furred! You don't lose all of your color when you get older, don't you know that?"
"No, actually. Because, you know, I grew up in another dimension, all alone with no other Lombaxes, including my dad, all because of you and your Council?" Ratchet replies smugly. "Ringing any bells?"
Harold grumbles as he shoves the door open. "I can't wait to catch you lying for myself."
"And I can't wait to see you have a heart attack once you see me fighting Tachyon on that big ol' screen up there." Ratchet says before exiting through the door.
Meanwhile, Kaden, Mags, and Julie all snicker at his comments, being able to hear the entire thing from sitting in the front row.
"Man, that is definitely your son, Kaden." Julie says.
"Which part? The disrespect towards authority, or having a smart mouth?" Mags asks.
"Whichever it is, I couldn't be more proud of him." Kaden says with a grin.
"Well, shouldn't you be a little worried about the first part?" Julie asks. "You are his dad, after all, so you're, like, the biggest authority figure to him."
"You're part of that authority too, Julie, if you're planning on being his aunt." Kaden retorts.
"No I'm not, because I plan on being the cool aunt. The kind that gives him dessert before dinner and always comes to visit with fun toys like experimental prototype weapons that are fresh from the lab. If anything, I'm his partner-in-crime against authority like you!"
Kaden rolls his eyes. "Just make sure it's not literal crime then, because I already used up my 'get out of jail free' card to get him here."
"Just why did you even want to be his aunt in the first place?" Mags asks. "I don't think I've ever heard you say anything like that before."
"Because why wouldn't I? It's like being a parent with none of the responsibility! We get to hang out and have fun together, he looks up to me as a role model, and I don't have to worry about things like housing him or raising him, it's a win-win!"
"But… you don't have to be an aunt to do those things." Mags replies. "And besides, he's practically an adult, so it's not like he needs to be raised or anything."
She shrugs. "Yeah, but I like the sound of 'Aunt Julie' a lot. I mean, don't you want to be 'Uncle Mags'?"
"I… well, honestly, that doesn't sound half-bad, actually." He says as he looks away for a moment, before shaking his head. "But no. Like I said, he's not a kid, so I feel like it'd just be patronizing towards him to make him call me his uncle."
"Suit yourself." Julie says with another shrug.
"You are all very good friends, aren't you?" Clank asks suddenly, standing in the steps between rows next to Julie.
"Gah!" She exclaims in surprise, nearly jumping in her seat. "Damn, don't sneak up on people like that!"
"Oh, I'm sorry." He apologizes genuinely. "I suppose I'm just used to Ratchet being able to hear me approach him, and assumed you would as well, being fellow Lombaxes."
"It's alright… erm, Clank, was it?" Mags asks. "That was your name, right?
He nods. "Indeed it is, although my real designation is XJ0461, serial number B5429671."
They all stare at him blankly, eliciting a chuckle from Clank. "But, Ratchet just calls me Clank."
"I think we'll stick to that, too." Julie says.
"Why did he name you Clank, then?" Kaden asks.
"Shortly after I met him, he flew a starship for the first time in his life, and as his flying skills were… less than ideal, I was thrown against the side of the cabin, and he decided to name me after the sound it made." He then makes a fist and taps his head to recreate the scenario.
"Sounds like he takes flying after his aunt, then." Mags says with a smug look towards Julie, who gives him a scowl. "Except, you know, he's a little better at it."
"You do know I can name at least five guns to shoot you with that won't kill you but are very painful to heal from, right?" Julie says to him.
"And I can name five dimensions where you might not have been the worst flier to exist." He replies with a grin. "But I might have to double-check the map for that."
Julie groans before pointing right to him, Kaden leaning back from between them to avoid it. "I dent your ship one time and you never let me live it down!"
"I wouldn't call taking off nearly half the wing a dent, Julie, it took a week to repair that!" Mags argues. "And even then, I had to get a new ship because it couldn't fly right afterwards!"
"Well, I paid for the repairs, didn't I? Doesn't that mean anything?"
"Yeah, it means you sure as hell are not touching Centauri, since she hasn't been contaminated by your flying yet."
"Contaminated? What am I, a disease?!"
"You may as well be, since every ship you touch is doomed to die a painful death."
Julie then begins to argue with Mags that five ships is a perfectly normal amount to go through while he instead contends that is twice as many as most people go through in their entire life. And in the midst of their bickering, Clank looks to Kaden caught in between them, seemingly unfazed by the increasingly heated conversation around him.
"Do they do this a lot?" Clank asks him.
"Yep." He says plainly, Mags and Julie completely oblivious to either of them.
"Should we do anything to stop them?"
"Nope. You'll only make it worse."
"…How long will they argue?"
He shrugs. "Since it's about her flying, probably another five minutes. Ten if she brings up his—"
"Okay, then, Mr. High and Mighty, maybe I'm not the best pilot, but at least I know the basics of how to use a gun so that I don't nearly kill half the people standing behind you!" Julie says.
"—There it is." Kaden finishes.
"How was I supposed to anticipate the recoil on that thing?! You should've warned me!" Mags argues, finding himself on the defense now.
"Mags, it was as big as you! How do you not expect the recoil to be serious? There's still a hole in my lab's wall from that!"
"At least you still have a wall and didn't have to scrap it like I did my old ship!"
"Oh, come on! You were talking about getting a new one anyway, so if anything, I helped you by giving you an excuse!"
"Well, at least we have entertainment until Ratchet gets back, I guess." Kaden says as he adopts a more comfortable position, leaning back in his seat as they continue their bickering.
As he reclines back, Clank takes a moment to observe the scene before him, with two Lombaxes squabbling back and forth about shooting dangerous weapons and flying advanced ships, while a third in between happily watches the chaos unfold right in front of him. And in seeing this, Clank couldn't help but smile, feeling delighted for Ratchet.
It looked like he was going to fit right in with his newfound family.
Ratchet walked into a small room, which was somehow even colder than the interrogation rooms back at the City Guard. There wasn't even a table, just a single chair next to a MemoReader terminal. If he didn't know any better, then this would have confirmed his fears about MemoReaders being some sort of torture device.
"You know, a little decoration wouldn't kill you guys." Ratchet says to Harold behind him, who was closing the door. "I mean, at least have a potted plant or something in the corner."
"Whenever this room is needed, it is never for more than five minutes." Harold responds bitterly. "And if it makes you so uncomfortable, then go ahead and take a seat already so we can get this over with."
Ratchet rolls his eyes, but obliges him anyway. And as he sits down, he also finds that the chairs in the interrogation rooms were also a lot more comfortable than this. Weren't these guys the government of Lombax society? Surely they could afford to splurge a bit so that this room wouldn't feel so hostile.
"I assume you already know how a MemoReader operates, right?" Harold asks as he types away on the terminal.
"Yep, my dad told me all about it when he said he was the inventor of these things." Ratchet answers.
He scoffs. "Even now, you're putting up this act about you being Kaden's dead son. Just how many bolts did he pay you to keep this up, since it's obvious you won't get that pardon he promised you."
Ratchet scowls. "Or, crazy idea, I am his son, like we've been saying this whole time."
"Yes, that is a crazy idea. Too crazy to believe, in fact, which is why we're here."
With a few final presses of the keyboard, the compartment next to the terminal opens up to produce the headband once more. Harold reaches in and grabs it, and Ratchet holds out his hand to receive it and put it on. But as he does, Harold instead, holds it away from him.
"What are you doing?" Ratchet asks.
"You and I both know that you can't fake a memory, so this ruse you're pulling with Kaden will fall apart, which will end very badly for you for lying to the Council on top of your current charges." Harold explains. "But, I am willing to offer you a deal. If you admit here and now that you are in fact a random criminal that he made a deal with in an attempt to trick us, then we will allow you your pardon. You will have to be monitored for some time to ensure you won't do anything dangerous anytime soon, but we both can agree it is much better than prison."
He gives Ratchet a smirk, and holds up the MemoReader headband to him once more, but Ratchet only frowns at him.
"And what makes you want to make a deal with some criminal if I'll be proven wrong anyway when you read my memories?"
"Because with an offer like the one that Kaden gave you, you'd be stupid not to take it. And I want to at least give you an out of this situation, because I'm sure you didn't anticipate his plan falling apart like it had. You'll be an innocent—Well, mostly innocent Lombax unfortunately caught in the crossfire between him and us, and I find that simply unfair to you."
Ratchet scoffs. "Hypocrite."
The smug smirk on Harold's face drops as it's instead replaced by a frown. "Excuse me?"
"You think having a criminal go to jail is unfair, but preventing my dad from coming back for me for over twenty years is perfectly reasonable? Just what is wrong with you people?"
He scowls. "I take it you are rejecting my deal?"
"Of course I am, because I'm not lying." Ratchet holds up his hand once more. "So, hurry up and give me that headband and ask me your questions so I can see my dad again, jerk."
With a grumble, Harold does as he says, disdainfully placing the headband in his hand. "Don't say I didn't warn you when you receive your sentence, you felon."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Ratchet dismisses him as he places the headband on his head. "Let's get this over with."
"Gladly." Harold says with a huff, confirming that the MemoReader was recording. "Now, why don't you tell me about your childhood?"
And this is the part where I say, 'see you next week!' and then promptly die, leaving this fic stranded in the endless sea of unresolved cliffhangers to suffer a long and agonizing death like so many others have already.
Just kidding, but things are a little busy right now, so the next chapter might have to be pushed back another week. I'll try and put it up next week as usual, but if I'm unable to, then I just wanted to assure you that I am in fact not dead.