The view of the city was very pretty from above, Ratchet thought. From way up here in Lyra, sat along with Clank and his father, he could see the sprawling, bustling metropolis of his people's home span out for what looked like miles. Even though this had to be the fifth time he got a good look of the whole thing, he was still struck with the same sense of awe that he felt the first time he witnessed it. In all honesty, he was still trying to get over the fact that yes, he was standing—erm, flying—in an actual Lombax city after so many years of wondering.
Back in his own dimension, he's undergone a few dozen explorations of Fastoon's ruins, and walking the dreadfully empty streets made his heart ache in wondering just what those cities would look like alive, with all those buildings cleaned up and filled with bustling crowds of Lombaxes going about their day instead of crumbling down and slowly but steadily being reclaimed by nature.
Those feelings were particularly strong in the times he had Talwyn walking along with him, her sharing small anecdotes of her knowledge to tell him what business this half-destroyed building used to be, or assuming what this little gadget was likely used for day-to-day life, or translating the odd book or journal that wasn't completely destroyed by the elements. Small snapshots of a life he never had a chance to live because of Tachyon.
But now that he's here, in an actual, living, breathing city, he wore a content smile on his lips, glad to have finally gotten that chance after all these years. And so far, he had to say it was better than any daydream or fantasy he's ever had.
"So," Lyra speaks up, startling Ratchet out of his thoughts, "How was your boys' quick 'pit stop' at the City Guard? Although, calling it that would be generous, seeing as though it took you three an hour to get back."
Kaden chuckles. "Yeah, sorry about that, Lyra. We got a little sidetracked from having the Chief call in a favor I owed her from having her release Ratchet yesterday."
"Oh, really? What did you have to do then?" She asks interestedly.
"Well, I gave her some advice on how to better deal with her men, and Ratchet here helped her train the recruits by running through their training course with them." He explains, thumbing over to him.
"Ooh, sounds like you had a fun time, then!" She says, Ratchet presuming she was talking to him now. "How did you do?"
"Oh, uh, I did pretty good!" Ratchet responds. "Got the top score and beat everyone else by a landslide!"
She chuckles. "Sounds like you managed to inherit some of your father's talent, then."
"More like all of it." Kaden corrects her. "With a performance like that, I don't doubt you'd be able to keep up with me back in my prime when I was a fully-fledged General for the Praetorian Guard."
"You think so?" Ratchet asks, wearing a small but proud smile.
"Definitely." He confirms with a firm nod. "Hell, I actually think you'd be able to join the Guard right now and become a General a year from now. You've got the skills and experience to back it up, after all, but also a healthy pinch of nepotism with me as your dad." He says with a small smirk. "Not saying that you'd need it, of course, but I'm told I still have a bit of a reputation in the Praetorians, so it wouldn't hurt to take advantage of that if you wanted to."
"Really? What kind of reputation?" He asks curiously.
Kaden looks over to Ratchet and thumbs to himself with a wide grin. "You're looking at the youngest Lombax to ever have the honor to get promoted to General of the Praetorian Guard." He states proudly. "Well, technically, second youngest, because Alister got promoted with me, too, and I'm older than him by a month, but that's just splitting hairs." He says with a wave of his hand as he returns his attention back to flying.
"Huh." Ratchet comments with mild astonishment. "How old were you, then?"
"I was… twenty-five." Kaden answers, pausing for a moment to recall the exact number. "And just for reference, most Generals are at least forty."
He gives a small whistle. "Wow, that's… impressive."
"That's one hell of an understatement." Kaden says with a chuckle. "Me and Alister worked our asses off to get that promotion, and let me tell you, there were some days where I felt so sore and sleep-deprived that I seriously thought about just quitting the Guard right then and there. But I know that if I did that, he would never let me hear the end of it if I wussed out at the last minute, so I pushed on through the agony, if only just so I can shove it in his face that I could do it after all. And when we both finally got those medals pinned to our chests, I knew that every bit of pain and suffering I had to go through was more than worth it."
Ratchet watches as a blissful smile and a faraway look washes over his face, much like when he was talking about his mother in the City Guard earlier, the memory clearly being something he cherished deeply.
"I honestly don't remember much of anything that happened that night, though." He says amusedly. "Me and Alister definitely had way too much to drink in celebration, but I remember just how ecstatic we both were at finally having made it to Generals after promising each other that we'd get there for years by that point. Well, that, and also the way Marie scolded us to be more responsible with our drinking after she had to fly us both home." He says, still wearing a smile.
"She was always looking out for us like that, even if we told her that she was being a buzzkill. I still can't believe how much nonsense we made her put up with back then, especially when me and Alister starting literally chanting 'buzzkill' as she flew us home." He says with a small laugh. "Oh man, I swear she was about to murder us right then and there."
Ratchet laughs as well, somehow able to picture the image his dad and Alister making fun of his very unamused mom perfectly, despite not knowing hardly anything about her. "I guess I should be thankful she didn't, then, or else I wouldn't even be here right now." He comments amusedly.
"No, I suppose you wouldn't." Kaden replies with a chuckle. "But I might be being a little dramatic when I say that she was that pissed with us, she knew it was in good fun. And we were all in such high spirits anyways that it was impossible for her to stay mad at us for any longer than five minutes. In fact, after we dropped Alister off, I could hear her chuckling at the whole situation even while she was denying it, saying it wasn't funny at all." He says with a warm smile, before giving a small, longing sigh. "That was such a great night."
A small moment of silence falls on the ship as they rest on that blissful note, Kaden replaying memories of that night in his head as Ratchet imagines his parents having a wonderful time together, feeling delighted that he got to know a little more about his family he never knew.
But about a minute later, Kaden's eyes suddenly widen, a grin appearing on his face before he looks over to Ratchet.
"You know… now that you mention it, you should be a little thankful that I got promoted." He says with a nonchalant shrug.
However, despite the casual nature of what he said, Ratchet gives him an odd look, sensing something… off, about the way he said that. Especially considering that mischievous smile he was wearing.
"Erm… why?" He asks reluctantly.
"Well, I happen to remember that even after we came back home, I was just so happy about finally becoming a General that I still felt like celebrating." He explains innocently. "And, wouldn't you know, the dates line up just oh so perfectly as well…"
Dates? What does he mean by dates? Just what do dates possibly have to do with him being thankful for—
Before he could finish that thought, his eyes widen as the realization suddenly dawns on him, filling him with dread. "Wait, you're not seriously telling me—"
"Yup." Kaden confirms with a smug smile. "I'm ninety-nine percent positive that was in fact the night you were conceived, Ratchet."
"Ugh, gross!" He exclaims with mortification, violently cringing as Lyra takes the controls from Kaden rendered unable to fly as he bursts out in roaring laughter.
"Your face!" He wheezes as he points to him, using his other hand to wipe a tear from his eye.
"Why did you have to tell me that!?" Ratchet asks in outcried disgust, vainly trying to purge that sentence out of his mind forever. "Just—Ugh!"
"C'mon, that's something every parent has to do at some point!" Kaden answers, calming down from his laughter, but still wearing a huge, amused grin. "I've gotta embarrass my kid at least once before I can really call myself a dad, you know!"
"Yeah, embarrass, maybe! Not scar for life!" Ratchet fervently corrects him.
"Oh, please." Kaden says with a roll of his eyes. "Out of all the stuff you've done as a teenage intergalactic hero, including fighting Tachyon of all people, I doubt hearing the story of your conception is the worst thing you've ever experienced."
"No, but it's easily in the top five." He replies. "Just… why did you have to go for that of all things?" He says with another shiver.
He shrugs. "Because it was relevant to the conversation." He replies pointedly. "Plus, it's not like I have any other stories to embarrass you with, unless you count the times you threw up on me, your mother, or anyone else who was holding you as a baby. And, well, I don't think those would've done the trick." He finishes with a smirk.
"But I'd still rather hear about those than what the hell you just told me," Ratchet retorts dryly, "I mean, I'm not a parent, but there are things that you don't tell your kids, and I'm pretty sure that's one of them."
"You're right, you aren't a parent, but guess what? I am. So, I still get to decide how to mess with my kid in whichever way I see fit." He tells him, still smirking.
Ratchet gives a defeated sigh. "Well, I guess I should be thankful that you don't have anything else nearly as scarring as that, at least."
"Oh, I wouldn't say that," Kaden replies optimistically, "I mean, I still haven't told you about the first time me and your mother—"
"Nope!" Ratchet cuts him off, putting his hands over his ears in a weak attempt to deafen himself, but failing miserably as he could still easily his father burst out into another bout of laughter, all the while both Clank and Lyra observe the duo with absolute delight, both happy for their respective partners.
Lyra touched down onto the dry Fastoon ground, a small dust cloud getting kicked up beneath her landing gear and thrusters, the latter of which died down as the cockpit popped open, with Kaden and Ratchet climbing out to step into the vast, largely barren desert-like landscape around them, broken up only by the occasional butte or mesa poking out of the sandy horizon.
Clank, however, elected to stay inside, partly to enlighten Lyra as to how Kaden and Ratchet reunited yesterday, but mostly to allow them both some personal, quality time together as father and son.
"Are you sure, Clank?" Ratchet asks, looking back inside the ship.
"Yes, I am sure, Ratchet." Clank assures him with a nod. "This day is supposed to be for you and your father, after all, and I do not wish to get in the way of that."
"What? Don't say that, pal, you wouldn't be getting in the way of anything."
Clank shrugs. "Even so, I believe it would be best for the two of you to spend some time exclusively with each other to bond. And besides, you don't have to worry about me, as I believe that Lyra here is going to be fine company in the meantime." He says, motioning over to her dashboard. "She seems like quite the lovely personality."
She giggles. "And you seem like quite the gentleman, Clank." She returns.
"Well, I suppose that's only a natural consequence after playing a secret agent on holovision for a number of years." He replies proudly.
"Ooh, I didn't know I was in the presence of a celebrity!"
He chuckles. "There's a lot you don't know about me, I am a robot of many mysteries after all." Clank states in a knowing tone that made Ratchet roll his eyes as Lyra emits another giggle.
"Well, just be sure to call us if anything comes up, Casanova." He says, unimpressed and all to used to dealing with Clank's bravado.
"Will do." He returns with a nod, paying no mind to his light jab.
"Have fun, you two!" Lyra adds as Ratchet starts to walk off, but not before hearing Clank lightly flirt with her some more to which she happily returns, making him shake his head in disbelief.
Just what was it about Clank that made girls fawn over him like that, Ratchet never understood. There was the helpdesk girl, then that infobot in Bogon, Courtney Gears, the tech droid in DreadZone, and the countless fangirls he got after Secret Agent Clank came out. Ratchet supposed he should be a little thankful that his skills with women did help them greatly on occasion, especially with escaping DreadZone, but he still couldn't help but be the tiniest bit jealous of the aura he seemed to have. Not that he was interested in hooking up with a random girl willy-nilly or anything, of course, but, come on, Jeeves was Secret Agent Clank's right-hand man, why doesn't he have fangirls swarming over him?!
Ratchet shakes his head to brush that thought aside as he strolls away from the ship to take in the desert landscape that surrounded them. But as he observes all these buttes and mesas and dead bushes and dust, he began to find that it instilled a strange sense of comfort inside of him. A sense of… home.
It might've just been because it looked near-identical to his own home of Veldin, of course, or the fact that this was quite literally his people's home, and almost his as well if life had turned out a little differently than it had. But whatever the reason may have been, he relished this comforting feeling nonetheless. Even though he was standing on a foreign planet in an entirely different dimension from his own, it felt as though he belonged here.
However, all those warm and fuzzy feelings aside, he couldn't deny that he was also a tiny bit confused as to why they were in the middle of a desert in the first place. He turns back to Kaden, standing next to Lyra, his upper body buried inside a compartment on the side of her body.
"Erm… is this where we're doing that activity of yours?" He asks bemusedly.
"Yep!" Kaden happily answers, poking his head out for a moment before continuing his rummaging.
"Then… what are we doing exactly that needs us to be out here?" He follows up, gesturing broadly around them.
"Because it'd be annoying to have to dodge buildings, Lombaxes, and hovercars when we're using a pair of these, wouldn't you agree?" He answers with a smirk as he emerges from the compartment, holding up a pair of hoverboots in his hand.
And as he sees the gadget, what little skepticism Ratchet was initially feeling is immediately washed away as he perks up with a delighted grin. "We're going hoverbooting together?" He asks enthusiastically.
"Yep!" Kaden answers with a nod, also wearing a grin upon seeing the visible excitement on his face. "You got a pair in that Arsenal of yours?" He asks, pointing to the device on his belt.
"Oh, uh, yeah, I do!" Ratchet says, turning for a moment before activating it and having them materialize in his own hands. "In fact, they're actually the same ones that you had, believe it or not." He adds with an amused shrug.
Kaden's eyes widen in astonishment upon seeing them, however, feeling as if he was thrown back in time, wearing a fond smile as walks up to Ratchet.
"That they are." He comments in amazement. "Man… I thought that I'd never see them again. Do you mind if I take a look?" He asks, pointing to them.
"Oh, yeah, totally!" Ratchet says, holding them up for Kaden to take them after he puts his own pair down on the ground beside him. "I mean, they're technically still yours, after all."
Kaden chuckles as he looks over the boots, fondly recalling the stories behind every scratch and scuff he could recognize.
"No, not anymore. They're yours, Ratchet. I was planning on giving them to you on your fifth birthday in the first place, actually." He says with a smile.
"Wait, you were?" Ratchet asks in wonder.
"Yep, and I was going to teach you how to fly with them, too. I mean, Marie technically did ban me from doing that until you were at least twelve, but we'd keep it a secret between the two of us." He explains, flashing him a wink before inspecting them some more.
And as he does, he turns them over, and promptly utters a small laugh. "Look at that, it's still there!"
"Huh? What is?" Ratchet asks, leaning over to try and see what he was talking about.
"When I was sixteen, I got so butthurt from the Agorians refusing to recognize my win at their Battleplex that I decided to memorialize it myself." Kaden explains as he shows it to him, pointing at the base of the heels, to a small inscription crudely carved into the metal, reading 'KADEN IS #1!'
He chuckles. "I was very creative and humble about it, as you can see."
"Huh, I always wondered what that was all about." Ratchet comments with a small smile. "I just thought you were a really cocky kind of guy."
"Well… I'd be lying if I said that wasn't the case." He replies with a shrug. "Alister always said that I was apt to end up dead with how I always acted like I was invincible, especially after the Agorians' tournament, but I told him he was just being jealous of my skills." He explains with a warm smile. "He always got sick of it too, so he'd always make sure to remind me about all the times I absolutely ate shit when we first started hoverbooting together to put me in my place."
He gazes at the hoverboots in his hands for a few more seconds, lightly brushing a noticeable scratch with his thumb, a remnant of a particularly nasty scrape he had when he accidentally turned them off in the middle of flying, much to Alister's amusement.
But then, he shakes his head, snapping out of his thoughts as he holds them back up to Ratchet with a smile. "Well, I'm sure you're getting tired of hearing me stroll down memory lane, so I'd say it's about time we actually get to flying, huh?"
Ratchet chuckles as he takes the boots. "Hey, I wouldn't say that, I actually like hearing your stories. It's neat to hear what you and mom and Alister were like way back then."
Kaden scoffs. "What do you mean way back then? It was only twenty years ago! You calling me an old man or something?" He asks with a raised eyebrow.
"Well… I mean… I can't say I'm calling you a young man, at least." Ratchet shrugs with a smirk.
He laughs as Kaden gives him a playful shove. "Hey, you need to respect your elders, young man!" He tells him in a chiding tone, but with any sternness behind his words getting drowned out by the grin on his face. "Especially your father, no less!"
"Alright, alright, I guess you're right." Ratchet concedes with a smile, kneeling onto the ground to put on his hoverboots.
"Glad to hear it." Kaden replies contentedly before he too begins to put on his boots as well.
"…Old man." Ratchet adds.
Kaden gives him another shove, but a little harder this time, and with his unprepared kneeling stance, Ratchet falls onto his side, laughing with only one hoverboot on his foot as Kaden chuckles to himself.
About a minute later, they both stand up, now wearing their hoverboots and, in Ratchet's case, a not-insignificant amount of dust on his side. He gives a small hop and activates his boots to hover above the ground, kicking up a small cloud of dust underneath the thrusters.
Kaden does the same, but as he does, he wobbles for a moment before holding his arms out to regain his balance. "Woah, forgot what that felt like for a second there." He comments.
Ratchet tilts his head. "What's the matter, is there something wrong with your pair?"
Kaden shakes his head, leaning in different directions to slowly hover above the ground. "Nah, it's just been years since I've actually flown with these before. Been a little busy at the Center, and I'm not exactly the spring chicken I used to be, either." He explains with a chuckle, looking down as the feeling of flying starts to come back to him.
"Oh… I'm not going to have to hold your hand or anything, am I?" He says incredulously.
He scoffs. "Hey, I just need to shake off the rust, okay? It might have been a while, but I wasn't called one of the best hoverbooters on Fastoon back in the day for nothing!" He states proudly, thumbing to himself.
Ratchet sucks in his teeth, watching as he makes small, minute movements while holding his arms out for balance. "Well, I can't say I'm seeing it right now." He says with a shrug and a smug smile.
Kaden frowns at him, but then, he looks down, and back up to him, a smile beginning to grow on his face. "Oh, what's that? I couldn't hear you over the sound of you eating my dust."
Ratchet's smile drops as he looks at him in confusion. "What are you—"
Before he can finish, Kaden suddenly blasts off ahead with a laugh, leaving Ratchet and a large cloud of dust behind him in his wake.
Ratchet shakes his head, snapping out of his surprise. "Hey!" He cries out, blasting off towards him through the desert landscape.
Ahead of him, Kaden suddenly flips around, leaning backwards as he continues to fly ahead, wearing a grin as he crosses his arms. "Well, look at that, looks like I've still got it, after all!" He declares confidently.
"Wow, great job, you can fly in a straight line!" Ratchet retorts with a roll of his eyes. "I was able to do that in only a minute after getting these things!"
"Oh, well, could you do this?"
Without skipping a beat, Kaden proceeds to give himself a boost to propel himself into the air, doing a backflip before landing back down onto the ground flawlessly, maintaining his backwards flight, now casually placing his hands behind his head as he looks back to Ratchet with a smug look.
"In my sleep!" He states, also giving himself a boost to launch himself into the air to do a front flip instead with practiced ease. "Is that all—"
He stops midsentence as he notices Kaden isn't in front of him anymore, and he looks around ahead of him before he feels a tap on his shoulder, and he looks to his side to find Kaden flying right next to him with a smile on his face.
"First one to the top of that mesa over there wins." He says as he points to a distant formation ahead of them. "Sound good?"
Ratchet gives a firm nod and a determined smile. "You're on!"
"See you there, then!" He returns as he boosts ahead.
Ratchet was fully prepared for him to do so, however, and boosts immediately after him, not letting him get such a head start as easily as last time, and swiftly closes the gap between them, now practically side-by-side once again. They both lean down further and further to gain any slight advantage to their speed, each of them oscillating between first and second place until they were both leaning so far down that any slip-up in their concentration would surely send them faceplanting from the lack of balance.
"Let's make a small detour to make this more interesting!" Kaden says, pointing to their left. "I saw that canyon dumps out near our finish line when we flew over here!"
"What's the matter, scared I'll beat you with how we're going right now?" Ratchet replies with a smirk.
"Hey, you have the advantage, shortstack!" Kaden fires back. "There's less of you for those hoverboots to push! And at least this way, we'll get to see if you really got skill!"
"Shortstack?!" Ratchet cries out indignantly.
"Hey, I said the jokes were coming, didn't I?" He replies with a laugh.
He rolls his eyes. "Let's see if you're still laughing once I win!"
He then suddenly boosts to the left, towards the canyon he pointed out, getting the jump on Kaden this time around. Kaden looks back at him in surprise for only a few moments before grinning proudly, blasting off to chase after him.
After a minute of another practically-tied straightaway, filled with a healthy amount of taunting from either side, they both enter the mouth of the canyon, descending down a slope into the narrow, rocky corridor. They both cease their trash-talk for the moment, now focusing only on the path ahead, filled with twists, turns, boulders, and crevices that sunk down deeper into the canyon below.
They effortlessly glide through the curves of the canyon's path, some soft, some sharp, leaning this way and that while making sure to stay ahead of the other. At one point, Ratchet begin to twirl in the midst of his turns to show off, making Kaden roll his eyes and reply that he was just creating unnecessary drag with those baby moves.
But as they exit out of that particularly twisted part of the canyon, they come to a wider section, where they find a multitude of rocks in their path, ranging from being the size of large pebbles, to being boulders over twice as tall as they were, all scattered randomly across the ground. They dodge and weave this way and that for the particularly larger ones, jump over the smaller ones with a small boost, and sometimes doing a combination of both, throwing in the occasional flip or twirl as they do so as well, the sound of their thrusters and combined laughter echoing through the canyon.
"This seems pretty dangerous for an old man like you!" Ratchet calls to Kaden, popping in and out of view from the passing boulders. "Maybe you should slow down, I'd hate it if you broke your hip slamming into these rocks!"
"Hey, I'm not even fifty!" He retorts. "And besides, would an old man be able to do this?"
Coming up to one of the giant boulders, Kaden flies right up to the side of the rocky wall of the canyon and jumps onto it before kicking off to land on the top of the boulder, where he proceeds to simply jump between the tops of the boulders instead of snaking between them down below, where he looks back at a Ratchet with a grin.
"Wow, I've gotta say that you look even tinier from up here!" He calls back down to him.
"Oh, two can play at that game!" Ratchet states with a renewed vigor.
He copies his father's example, kicking off the side of the canyon wall to reach the tops of the boulders in their paths to skip from rock to rock with Kaden, once again finding themselves tying very closely with each other, almost looking like a synchronized dance as they effortlessly hop between them.
Eventually, though, they run out of boulders to jump between, and descend back onto the ground, once again resorting to simply dodging or jumping over any decent-sized rock in their path.
But as they do, Ratchet gets an idea, and approaching a rock a little higher than his waist, he jumps over it as usual, but as he crosses over it, he places his feet onto its face and kicks off it to give himself a boost forward, leaping him a good distance ahead of Kaden.
He looks back with a smile. "You're not the only with tricks up your sleeve, you know!"
He goes ahead and boosts off of another rock after vaulting over it once again, but this time, Kaden notices how the rock shifts slightly as he boosts off of it, giving him an inkling of worry as Ratchet blasts further ahead.
"I don't think you should be doing that, Ratchet!" He calls ahead of him, trying not to sound too overprotective in his tone.
"Why not? Too scared I'm going to wipe the floor with you?" He retorts.
"No, I'm scared you're going to wipe the floor with yourself!" He answers back. "Those rocks you're kicking off of don't look stable enough for that!"
Ratchet waves him off. "Quit your worrying, if Tachyon couldn't stop me, then neither can some stupid rock!"
Kaden frowns a little. "I still don't think—"
"Maybe you should do less thinking and do more flying back there!" He cuts him off, priming himself for another rock-assisted boost. "I thought you said you were supposed to be one of the best—"
But as he goes to kick off, it suddenly cracks and sends one half flying from the hoverboot's thrust instead of propelling Ratchet, launching him into an uneven path where he flails in surprise, trying to regain control from the unexpected hiccup.
Unfortunately, he isn't successful, as he clotheslines his legs against another rock ahead of him, slamming his face down onto the ground with a cry before tumbling into a painful stop, lying on the ground.
"Ratchet!" Kaden cries out frantically, eyes going wide and his gut growing cold with worry as he doesn't see him making any attempt to get up.
He quickly gives himself another boost, flying quickly with an intense focus, deftly dodging the other rocks in his path as he focuses solely on his son ahead of him, lying on his back in a heap on the ground, barely stirring.
In mere seconds, Kaden reaches him, and drops down onto his knees in a slide to stop before leaning over him with frantic concern.
"Ratchet, are you okay?!" He asks worriedly, unconsciously taking his hand into an extremely tight grip.
Ratchet doesn't answer, however, only giving a quiet groan as he barely moves, seemingly knocked out of his senses from the crash.
It worries Kaden to an extraordinary amount, but he takes some small solace in the fact that he isn't plain dead. And as he attempts to wake from his grogginess, Kaden takes the opportunity to scan his body for any major injuries.
His clothes were roughed up a bit, being heavily wrinkled and solidly caked with dirt from the scuffle, and there were some scrapes and minor cuts across his arms and face, and some parts of him were beginning to bleed. Kaden uses his hand to wipe away the blood to get a better look at the wounds, but thankfully sees that they're nothing too serious, only a little more than a road rash. And by the looks of it, he hasn't managed to dislocate or break anything from what he could see, which was a small miracle considering how he crashed into that rock.
But as Kaden wipes the blood from his hand onto the dry dirt around him, he still felt incredibly concerned. Ratchet may have been an intergalactic hero for these past few years, getting into all kinds of danger that this accident could hardly hold a candle to, but he was still his child, dammit. Seeing him in any kind of pain killed him on the inside, even if the wounds were superficial enough to heal after only a day or two.
"Dammit, Ratchet, I told you to stop!" Kaden scolds him out of frustration. "Now look at you!" He says as he gestures to the rest of his body.
But as he does, he sees him stir a little more before looking to his face to see his eyes slowly open before they close once more with a wince, placing a hand on his head.
"Ratchet? Are you alright?" Kaden repeats, seeing that he appeared to be fully conscious now.
"Hand…" Ratchet mutters weakly.
"What?" Kaden asks, leaning down closer to hear him better.
"Your hand," Ratchet repeats a little louder, "Ease up a bit, you're crushing mine!"
"Erm, sorry," He apologizes, loosening his grip, feeling a little relieved that he wasn't knocked clean out at least. "But, again, are you okay? I mean, I've had my fair share of bad crashes, but that was something else. Do I need to call Lyra to have her pick us up and get you to someone?"
"What? No, don't be silly." Ratchet says with a small smile and a wave of his hand, propping himself up on an elbow. "I just need to walk it off, and I'm good to go, trust me."
"Walk it—You slammed your legs into that rock going nearly full speed!" Kaden argues, pointing back to the offending geology. "Are you even able to walk?"
"Hey, you don't have to be so worried, I've been through a hell of a lot worse before." Ratchet states casually in an attempt to reassure him, sitting up further to begin to stand up. "Like I said, it's gonna take more than a stupid rock to take me—Gah!"
As soon as he tries to put weight on his leg, he feels a wave of sharp pain, forcing him to sit back down with a wince. "Or, you know, sitting's good too." He says with a small chuckle.
It does nothing to reassure Kaden, however, instead filling him with an immense worry that he did break his leg after all. He begins to shake his head as he turns, pulling out his communicator. "That's it, I'm having her pick us up right now so we can go ahead and get you—"
"Woah there, there's no need for that." Ratchet assures him, reaching over to lower his arm. "It's nothing a little bit of nanotech can't fix!"
"Well, even then, we're in the middle of nowhere, Ratchet," Kaden argues impatiently, "How are we even going to get nanotech if I don't at least get Lyra to pick us up to get some?"
"Because I've already got some, see?" Ratchet then reaches down, looking to his Arsenal on his belt, and has a small vial of the glowing blue nanites materialize in his hand. "Never leave home without it."
He breaks it open in his fist, and the cloud of nanotech flows into his arm, and after a moment, immediately begins to feel better as his cuts and scrapes are quickly mended and healed, with the dull throbbing of his head and legs fading away into nothing as well. A few seconds later, he sits up a little more, shaking out his arms before standing up once again, but with zero problems this time, shaking out his legs as well before turning back to Kaden, holding out his arms with a smile.
"There we go, good as new!" Ratchet states happily before he begins to brush away at the dirt on his clothes and blood from his healed cuts. "Except I could maybe use a shower when we get back home, I guess." He adds. "Man, it's always a pain to wash blood out of my fur, too, it gets all sticky and it always stains."
Kaden, however, remains kneeling on the ground, a disquiet still lingering in his gut, made only worse by that comment. "Why do you just have nanotech on you like that?" He asks apprehensively.
"Because, why wouldn't I?" Ratchet replies with a shrug. "I've spent nearly half my life getting shot at, it'd be stupid not to have some emergency nanotech at all times. Even Clank carries some in case my Arsenal runs dry. And hey, it's a good thing I do, too, or else we'd have to cut the day short with that stupid accident, huh?" He says amusedly.
Kaden doesn't immediately respond, however, instead looking to the spot of maroon stained into the dry ground from where Kaden wiped the blood off his hands. His son's blood. Something that has apparently been spilled countless times before, enough for Ratchet to get annoyed at it instead of concerned and distraught like he was, which was a thought that sent a cold chill down his spine.
Did he really find this as no big deal? Treating a broken, bloodied body with the air of being a mere inconvenience, joking around at having been too injured to walk? And apparently, having succumbed to wounds just as bad—if not worse—so many times before that he has to keep nanotech on his person at all times?
Why does he willingly subject himself to this kind of life? A life that constantly threatens to end his own?
"…Yeah." Kaden distantly replies, still staring at the stain. "I guess so."
Ratchet pauses in the midst of his tidying up as he looks back to his father, a little offput by his odd response. "Erm, is something up?" He asks.
Again, Kaden doesn't give an immediate answer, instead tearing his gaze away from the bloodstain as he silently stews in his thoughts. And before Ratchet could ask again, he gives a sigh as he finally stands up from the dusty ground before turning to look at him.
"I just… hate knowing the kind of danger you've had to go through for all these years." He tells him with a slight frown. "I mean, you shouldn't be so used to nearly dying that you can walk it off with no sweat like that. No one should. Especially not a teenager like you." He says, motioning over to him.
Ratchet furrows his brows. "'Nearly dying?' Dad, I just had a little tumble on my hoverboots is all, I think I just tore something in my leg at most." He states light-heartedly in an effort to reassure him. "You're just being dramatic."
He shakes his head. "I'm not just talking about what happened just now, Ratchet. I'm talking about all of the things you've been doing in the other dimension, too, running all over the galaxy to get shot at and nearly blown up every five minutes. That's not the kind of life you should have to live." He says sourly, crossing his arms.
Ratchet frowns a little. "Well… sorry, I guess, but it's not like there's anything I can do to change it now." He says with a shrug. "It's not my fault life happened to turn out this way for me. And besides, it's not that big of a deal, I've taken care of myself just fine so far, haven't I? I'm not dead or losing a limb or organ or whatever right now, right?" He offers, gesturing to himself, seemingly forgetting the fact that he still had blood on him. "You don't have to worry about me, trust me."
Kaden lets out a frustrated sigh, rubbing his eyes before motioning over to him. "You're missing the point, Ratchet. You shouldn't have to consider it an accomplishment that you managed to make it to twenty years old without having someone kill you!" He retorts. "And yes, I do have to worry about you, you're my son! It's my job to worry about you!"
"Yeah, your twenty-year-old son who's been able to take care of himself for his entire life without your help just fine!" He replies impatiently. "I don't even get why you're getting on my case about this whole hero thing either, we've talked about this a bunch of times already, so I don't see what your problem is!"
"My problem is that I don't want to see my child end up dead from making reckless choices that constantly put his life on the line because he doesn't know any better!" Kaden sternly argues. "I mean, just look at what happened just now! You literally told me that you get wounded so often that you have to have emergency medical aid on you at all times! How do you think I feel when I hear you say that?!"
"What do you mean I don't know any better?!" He counters indignantly. "I've been doing this since I was a kid! I've had to deal with goons, bad guys, psychos, monsters, and who-knows-what-else all over the universe for years now! And guess what? I'm not a kid anymore, so I must be doing something right with this hero thing to be able to say that, so I think you should just get off my back!"
"Just because you're not a child doesn't mean you know everything, Ratchet!" Kaden fervently tells him. "And it doesn't mean that I'm not allowed to worry about you and your well-being as your father either, especially if I know exactly what it's like to be a hero that puts his life on the line all the time like you do!"
"Then that just makes you a giant hypocrite for saying how I shouldn't be doing this, either!" Ratchet counters. "I mean, you were literally bragging to me on the way here about how you became a military general at my age! These boots I'm wearing right now have a trophy you made for yourself for winning a blood sport when you were sixteen! And, again, you fought Tachyon all by yourself, which is exactly what I did, too! And you're standing here telling me that I shouldn't be doing any of this? I'm just following in your footsteps!"
"And I lost!" Kaden snaps, throwing his arms up in frustration. "Do you not realize that? I almost died being a hero to stand up against Tachyon, and you could just as easily have, too!"
"But I didn't!" Ratchet returns, thumbing to himself. "I was able to beat him, you saw that for yourself in my memories yesterday! I saved everyone by doing that! I saved myself, I saved Polaris, hell, I saved all of you!" He retorts, gesturing broadly to the landscape around them before pointing right at Kaden.
"And if I could do what you couldn't, then I think I'm more than qualified to say that you're in no position to judge me about what I do, especially if I'm better at it than you ever were!" He finishes angrily with a glare.
Kaden recoils at his tone, and the frustrated anger on his face washes away into a look of pure hurt, able to catch the pain in his eyes in the brief moment he quickly turns away, crossing his arms as he stares back to the ground, not saying anything.
Seeing his father refuse to even look at him quickly sobered Ratchet from his outburst, and as his words linger in the uncomfortably silent air, the outraged irritation he was feeling only moments before slowly shifts into an icy, gut-dropping sensation of regret and shame as he begins to fully grasp what he just said.
He literally just insulted his father for almost dying to the monster that slaughtered thousands of their people. He was willing to fight that Cragmite to protect everyone else and the Dimensionator, knowing full well his chances of walking out were slim to none, and Ratchet had just called him a failure for doing so.
And for what? All because he voiced his concern and disapproval of the perilous, life-threatening lifestyle that Ratchet led? Being worried about his son's safety as a good parent rightfully should? After waiting for two entire decades to be a father, he's greeted with his child telling him that he's an idiot who should've tried harder?
Just what the hell was wrong with him?
"I… I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean that." Ratchet meekly apologizes, hanging his head down while anxiously rubbing his wrist. "I didn't mean any of that. You are a hero, dad. A good one, too, and I'm an idiot to say you aren't."
Kaden doesn't respond, still facing away from Ratchet with his arms crossed, head slightly bowed and remaining unnervingly silent, only making Ratchet feeling more ashamed of himself as he nervously grips his wrist a little tighter.
"I-I know you're just trying to look out for me, and I shouldn't try to blame you for doing that, and I really shouldn't insult you for all the things you had to do to save me and everyone else back then, either." Ratchet continues, still hanging his head down.
Once again, his father doesn't say anything in return, making Ratchet frown even more, finding his silence more agonizing than any scolding he could ever give. The seconds tick on, and a warm breeze lightly blows past them, creating a soft echo in the canyon they were currently standing in, and a sending a light film of dust dancing across the ground where Ratchet's gaze rested.
"I'm sorry for saying all that, okay?" He continues. "I just… I've dedicated my life to being a hero, and I've saved more people than I can count, and I like doing it. I thought that I was doing a good thing with my life, and hearing you getting angry at me and criticizing me for doing it just made me… snap." He sighs. "I lost my cool, and I said a bunch of things I really shouldn't have said. And I'm sorry for that. I didn't mean to hurt you." He finishes.
He is only greeted with more of that deafening, unrelenting silence from his father, still turned away, arms crossed as he dwells in whatever thoughts were currently floating in his head. Ratchet internally begged him to say something—anything, if only to just acknowledge that he was even listening to what he was saying. But as his unspoken wishes continue to go unheard as his silence grows longer and longer, Ratchet's shame and embarrassment begin to give rise to an equally growing sense of irritation.
With a frustrated sigh, he picks his gaze up from the ground to return his attention back to Kaden, still indifferently looking at the canyon wall in front him.
"I just… I don't even get why you're so angry, okay?" Ratchet states. "Alister told me all kinds of stories about the things you did, like how you were a General, and how reckless you were at my age, and about how you willingly put your life on the line for the sake of everyone else all the time, just like I do." He explains, waving his arm in a broad gesture before pointing to himself.
"And since I do things like that all the time, too, I thought that you'd… well… be proud of me for it." He says with a shrug. "I know you already said that you are when you saw me beat Tachyon yesterday, and when I told you about my adventure with Angela last night, and at the City Guard this morning. But then, here you are, yelling at me that I shouldn't be doing any of this, just like you did when I first told you I fought Tachyon yesterday, even after you were saying how I could be a great General like you just twenty minutes ago. And that's not including all the little offhand comments you make about how you don't like what I'm doing, either, and how it makes you uncomfortable, and… it's just… just…"
He gives a sigh, filled with a palpable melancholy before looking back at him with hurt in his eyes.
"I can't even tell at this point anymore. You keep flip-flopping between hating what I do, to complimenting what I do, and I can't figure out what you want anymore. And I know you've said it before, but at this point, I can't help but wonder if you're really being honest with me. I have to know. Just tell me, dad, are you… are you really proud of me at all?" He asks in a pained tone. "Be honest. Do you just hate me for being a hero?"
Once again, Kaden still doesn't respond, but this time, Ratchet sees him pick his head up as his ears perk up from his accusation, which gives him slight relief in seeing that his words aren't just falling on deaf ears. But it still wasn't not enough to stifle the frustration from the fact that he still isn't saying anything, not even to answer that question.
All he needs is a simple yes or no, but apparently, that's too much to ask. Just why is this so hard for him if he was more than vocal about it just two minutes ago, huh? Is it because he was right and his father can't be willing to admit it?
Ratchet opens his mouth to repeat himself more firmly, but before he could get a chance to even speak, he finally hears his father speak up instead, his voice cutting through the tense silence that's befallen them.
"I made a promise to your mother, you know." He begins somberly.
Ratchet furrows his brow. Just what did that have to do with his question?
He opens his mouth again, about to tell him not to deflect the question, but… there was something about the way he said it that told him it'd be unwise to interrupt. Maybe it was just the possibility that if he did so, he might just get another round of the silent treatment and be back to square one, so instead, he simply closes his mouth and begins to simply listen, albeit a little impatiently.
"On that day Tachyon attacked—that terrible, goddamn awful day—I wasn't able to go home to get you and Marie to the evacuation, since I needed to save everyone else that was already there first." He continues. "It must've taken only fifteen, twenty minutes for everyone to get evacuated through the portal, and I refused to follow them in because I didn't see you two make it through. Alister told me that I needed to anyway, because the Dimensionator was damaged to the point that it wouldn't have been able to open another rift if I didn't make it in time, but I didn't listen to him. I wasn't going to abandon my family to that monster's wrath."
"I don't think I've ever ran as fast in my life as I did that day, trying to make it home in time to get you two and make it back to the portal before it closed. But when I finally made it, the only thing I found waiting for me was our home, almost completely destroyed by a bombing. My gut absolutely dropped when I saw our home like that, but I pushed it aside. I refused to believe that you two weren't safe, and I ran into that house without a second thought, looking everywhere until I heard Marie calling from upstairs. And when I found her, I… I felt like my entire world just shattered right then and there."
He gives a deep, slightly shaky breath as he hangs his head down even lower, clutching onto his crossed arms even tighter.
"I didn't fully comprehend that it was an apocalypse until I ran into that room and saw my wife lying in a pool of her own blood, trapped under a chunk of our collapsed roof as she coughed up even more. Even today, I still have that look that was in her eyes burned into my memories. That look that said… that said she knew her time had come. I can't imagine how much pain she must've been in, or how long she was lying there, calling for help until she just gave up, accepting the fact that she was going to die under that rubble." He says morosely. "I can't put ever properly put into words how horrible it was to see that look from her. We'd known each other since we were teenagers, we were both the first love we ever had, and to see those beautiful, innocent blue eyes of hers that I've known and adored for so long, drowned out with the look of death… it absolutely destroyed me."
He then shakes his head slowly, as if he was vainly attempting to simply forget that he had ever saw it, but to no avail. Ratchet says nothing, nor does he attempt to even move, shocked into a stunned silence, allowing his father to continue speaking after a small moment of silence to allow him to regain some composure.
"It only took me a second to run over and try lifting that rubble off of her, and I used everything I had to try and save her, to the point that my muscles were sore even two days afterward, but it was pointless. It didn't budge a single inch. And I would've kept going too, if it wasn't for the fact that she told me to stop, and that I should quit wasting my time, because it was too late for her. And as much as it fucking killed me to admit it… she was right. No matter what I did do—no matter what I could do—there wasn't any possible way that I could have saved her life."
He takes another deep, shaky breath as Ratchet stands behind him, seeing him bring a hand to his face, wiping away at tears that were beginning to spill.
"The other thing I remember vividly, though, is the way she never stopped smiling." He continues, his voice giving no indication that he was currently shedding tears right now. "Even through the pain, even in the face of death, she never dropped that beautiful smile of hers, even though it was stained red with her blood."
He turns his head very slightly towards Ratchet, still not attempting to face him completely.
"And do you know why?" He asks. "It's because she saved you, Ratchet. She was trapped under that rubble because she saved you, and the fact that she was able to protect our child made her happy, even if it meant she had to die because of it. And when she saw that I managed to survive the attack, walking into that room, it only made her even more relieved to know for certain that you'd be able to escape the chaos." He says as he returns his head back away from Ratchet.
"Marie told me to quit trying to rescue her because she wanted you to be safe, Ratchet, not her, because her life meant nothing compared to yours. And as her husband, I hated accepting the fact that I had to just give up and lose the love of my life forever. But as a parent… a parent just like her… she was absolutely right. Because no matter how much we loved each other, it could never compare to the love we both held for our child and his safety. So… I did what she asked. I stopped trying to save her."
Another shaky breath, another wiping away of his tears.
"I still remember everything about that last minute of her life. Promising her that I'll do anything to protect you as I held her hand. Tasting her coppery blood in my mouth as I kissed her for one last time. Blubbering that I didn't want to lose her as I started to cry. Hearing her reassure me that everything's going to be alright as long as you're safe. And with her last breath, telling me that she loved me, right before she closed her eyes for the last time, still holding my hand. Still wearing a smile."
Ratchet watches as Kaden finally turns around to fully face him, where he can see the fur around his eyes and on his cheeks glistening from his tears, which was in stark contrast to the strong look of resolve he also wore about his features as he looked right at him with an intense gaze.
"Her dying words were that she wanted you to be safe above everything else, Ratchet." He tells him firmly. "That's why I'm so concerned about you and your life as a hero, because I'm thinking about your mother and the promise I made to her, and I want you to understand that."
He then waves his hand in a broad gesture. "Sure, you've been doing this for years now, and you've yet to be maimed or killed because of it. And, sure, you've taken down all sorts of monsters like Tachyon while doing it, too, and have saved countless lives because of it. And, sure, you know what? You're right. You are a better hero than I ever was if you were able to avenge our people when I couldn't, and you have every right to judge me because of that, and I don't blame you for doing it."
Ratchet looks away in shame, rubbing his wrist apprehensively, his father's assurance that he was right doing nothing to make him feel better about the fact that he said that out of anger in order to hurt him.
But a moment later, he feels a hand on his shoulder, giving him a soft, yet firm grip, and Ratchet looks up in surprise to see Kaden look back at him with a passionate, caring expression.
"And I know it doesn't sound like it, but I can assure you that I'm not angry at you. Not by a long shot." He tells him. "You're great at what you do, there's no doubt about it. I saw it in your memories yesterday, I've heard it in the stories you've told me, and I witnessed it firsthand this morning at the City Guard. You're a natural born hero. You do more good than anyone else possibly could because of what you do, so believe me when I say that I am proud of you, Ratchet. More than you can ever hope to understand." He states caringly. "The fact that I can say that it's my son who took down Tachyon and saved the galaxy countless times makes me proud to be your father, and don't you ever let yourself convince you otherwise, because I will always be proud of you and your accomplishments."
Ratchet feels a breath hitch in his throat, but he simply pushes it aside as Kaden then rests his other hand on his shoulder, gripping onto him as he looks right into his eyes with a strong gaze.
"But even then, at the end of the day, that's what I am; I am still your father, Ratchet. I can't deny that what you do is extremely dangerous, even if you make the universe a better place because of it. And it doesn't matter how good you are at being a hero, or how long you've been doing it, or how much I tell myself that I don't have to worry about you, because no matter what, I will worry about you, and nothing will ever change that."
Ratchet feels the grip on his shoulders tighten as he sees his father's eyes begin to well up with more tears.
"And that's because I love you, Ratchet. With all my heart. I worry about you because I love you, and I don't want to lose you like I lost Marie." He tells him in a voice that was now beginning to finally crack from his tears. "I made a promise to her that I would protect you for both our sakes, and that doesn't stop now that I finally have you back after twenty long, excruciating years. Now that I finally have you back in my arms, I will do everything I can to keep from losing you again. I won't ever stop trying to protect you, Ratchet, because not only will I risk having you be taken away from me again, I'll be breaking the promise I made to her, and I'll be damned if I let either of those happen."
He then lets go of Ratchet, but only so that he can quickly move in and take him into a tight, passionate hug that nearly threatened to squeeze the very life out of him as he simply stands there in stunned silence.
"So please, don't be angry with me for being concerned about you and your safety, even if you think it's unnecessary, which it very well might be." He whispers. "Because it's coming from a place of love. From me, and your mother. We want you to live a long, happy life because we love you, Ratchet, more than you can ever possibly know."
And as Kaden tightens his grip onto Ratchet even more, Ratchet slowly comes out of his daze as he feels tears of his own begin to well in his eyes, spilling down onto his cheeks as he closes them, reaching up with his arms to return his father's embrace.
"I… I'm not angry at you, dad." He simply replies in a choked whisper. "I love you, too. You… and mom."
Even through the tears, Kaden begins to smile, squeezing onto him harder, cherishing his touch. "She'd be very happy to hear you say that, Ratchet." He responds in an equally emotional tone. "I know I am."
And as they stood there, holding onto the other in a tearful, loving embrace, Ratchet distantly noted that he felt just the smallest sense of déjà vu at the scene, being very reminiscent of their initial meeting the day prior. But this time, they weren't sitting in a bleak, sterile interrogation room, overwhelmed with a mixture of confusion, shock, and unspeakable relief at having found his father alive after so many years.
Instead, they were standing in the middle of the hot sun in a desert canyon, and although it was admittedly a much more uncomfortable setting to exist in, the emotions he was feeling were much, much more pleasant than they were yesterday, being filled with bliss, comfort, and pure, unrequited love for his father, and his mother.
His mother that he never was able to meet, because she loved him so much that she was willing to sacrifice herself for his own life. And as strange as it sounded, he thought that he could feel her through his father's tight hug, almost as if she was right here with him, sharing in their embrace. Why that was, Ratchet didn't know, but he didn't attempt to question it, instead cherishing the touch as warm tears spill down his cheeks, soaking into his father's chest.
And as they stand in that canyon, holding onto each other, the paid no attention to the hot sun beating down on them, nor even time itself. They could've been hugging for seconds, minutes, or for all they cared, even hours. All they knew was that for the moment, there was nothing else in the universe except the Lombax in front of them, the only family they had left, sharing a moment of pure love for one another.
But eventually, they had to begrudgingly break from the embrace from however long it lasted, each taking a moment to wipe their eyes before they look at each other, Kaden wearing a content grin that Ratchet gladly returns, but only for a moment before it falters as he drops his gaze back down onto the ground with a small sigh.
"I'm… I'm sorry for saying all those things to you, dad." He quietly apologizes. "I didn't mean—"
"I know you didn't mean it, Ratchet." Kaden softly reassures him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "But to be honest, I'd be lying if I said I didn't at least somewhat deserve it. Like you said, I've been swapping between criticizing you and praising you for what you've done, and I can only imagine how confused I must have made you feel, and I'm sorry for doing that to you."
"Hey, don't say that, you have nothing to apologize for." Ratchet tells him, returning his focus back onto him. "Because, well, yeah, you have been sending me mixed messages about the whole hero thing and what you think of it, but after what you just said… I can't be angry with you at all."
He then places his own hand on top of Kaden's, still resting on his shoulder, and gives it a small squeeze with a warm smile.
"You're just trying to look out for me, for both my sake and mom's, and… I appreciate it. I do. I just… need to get used to it, is all." He says with a shrug. "It's just going to be another thing I'll have to adjust to on top of everything else, I guess."
Kaden smiles. "And just like everything else, it'll be something that we'll get through together, I can promise you that." He says as he gives his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "But… I also want to promise you that I'll try not to be too overprotective from here on out. Because while you are my son, I can't deny that you are my very capable son who has managed to take care of himself just fine without me. I trust that you can make good decisions for yourself, Ratchet."
Ratchet beams at his compliment, but as he does, Kaden raises a finger.
"But," He adds, "That doesn't mean that I won't worry about your safety. Like I said, I am your father first and foremost, and believe me when I say that parental instinct greatly overpowers any sense of reason or logic that'll try and tell me that you are fully capable of handling yourself, so don't be surprised if I start going off on you whenever I hear you talk about something like a battle where you were on the brink of death, or a time you got out by the skin of your teeth, or anything else insanely dangerous like that. So just… try and keep those kinds of stories to a minimum, okay? For both my sake and yours."
"Will do." Ratchet confirms with a smile and a nod. "And while we're at it, I promise that I'll keep my cool and keep from snapping at you whenever you get concerned about me, too. I should be thankful that you care about me enough to even do that, and the last thing I should do is insult you for it. Especially knowing everything about what you said to mom, too. So… thanks, dad. Thanks for caring about me." He says warmly.
Kaden chuckles as he gives him a small hug. "Hey, it's the bare minimum I can do as your father, Ratchet." He says amusedly. "But, even then, I'm still happy to hear it. I love you."
"I love you, too." He replies contentedly, returning the hug before they both let go from the quick embrace, smiling happily at each other, once more feeling incredibly thankful that they now had each other in their lives.
But then, a few seconds later, Kaden glances over to the end of the canyon, and with a smirk, looks back to Ratchet with a playful look in his eye.
"You know… we're technically still in the middle of racing to that mesa over there." He says, thumbing to the formation, now in view some distance away.
Ratchet looks back down to where he's pointing confusedly for a moment, but upon seeing it, he grins as he looks back to his father, matching his eager attitude. "You still want to keep going?"
"Why not?" He says with a shrug. "We've still got our hoverboots on, we have time, and you're all patched up and good to go after that nanotech, right?"
He nods. "Sure am."
"And you won't do anything else stupid that'll make you have to break out another vial?" He asks with a raised eyebrow.
Ratchet gives him a thumbs-up. "Yep. Lesson learned."
"Good, I'd hope so." Kaden says with a chuckle before walking past him, prompting a confused look from him before he stops in the center of the canyon, poising himself before looking back to Ratchet and beckoning him over. "Now, come on, let's start this off fairly, we'll count down together, sound good?"
"You're on, old man." He says eagerly as he walks over and takes his position next to his father.
He scoffs at the jab. "Whatever you say, pipsqueak." He playfully returns, eliciting a snicker from Ratchet. "You can start counting us off, alright?"
"Will do." He says as he primes himself to blast off at a moment's notice right along with Kaden next to him, focusing on the path ahead with a focused determination, already planning out his optimal route.
"On the count of three, got it?" He tells Kaden with a smirk.
"Loud and clear." He responds with a similar mischievous smile, staring right ahead with fierce determination.
With a nod, Ratchet returns his attention back down the canyon, poising himself, already mentally prepared to absolutely smoke him as he opens his mouth to count down.
"One…"
"THREE!" They both yell out in unison as they blast off simultaneously, leaving nothing but a giant cloud of dust from their boosters, heard echoing through the canyon right along with their joyous laughter.
Well, this was one of those things where I found myself tearing up just a little bit as I was writing it down, so I hope that I was able to make you cry, too. And if not, well, I hope I you still liked it, anyway.
And the funny thing is that I actually wasn't intending on having them fight like that, either. Just have Ratchet get into a little scuffle, shrug it off, and have them keep going right along their merry way. But then, I delved into Kaden's head a little deeper, had him be a tiny bit more concerned, and, oh, wouldn't you know, I've accidentally written 5000 words and made myself cry while doing it.