"Hmm…" Kaden hums, squinting at a bookshelf, holding up a finger as he scans across the spines before him. "It should be… A-Ha! There we go!"
He plucks out a large, hefty book from the shelf, looking over its cover before blowing some dust off it, revealing the Lombax script printed upon it reading "ATLAS OF THE MULTIVERSE", embellished with a small illustration of a portal.
"Almost done." He states, quickly flipping through the pages to confirm its contents before tucking it beneath his arm, looking down beside him. "And don't worry. I'll carry it."
"Good." Clank says a little annoyedly, already holding up three large books in his arms. "And remind me, why did you consider it a good idea to first grab the seven volumes of Cross-Dimensional Theories before everything else?
"Honestly? Because it was the first thing on my mental checklist." He says with a smile and a shrug before beginning to walk through the rest of the Interdimensional Archives. "And besides, you're robots, it's not like you guys have muscles that get tired like us organics."
"No, but it is still a little annoying to have to carry these large books through these very large Archives." Clank says, following behind him. "Especially since my servos are not acting ideally from our kidnapping earlier."
"I do not mind it all that much." Kit comments beside him, carrying the other four books in her own arms. "This technically is my normal job, after all—hauling various books and items here and there around the Archives and Monktown. I am quite used to it."
"See, Clank?" Kaden says, looking over his shoulder with a smile. "If she can do it, then so can you!"
"I fail to see how her experience would be at all indicative of mine at the current moment." He retorts.
"That's because her experience is called being positive, Clank. Now, then, we just need that novel Mags asked for, the Dimensionator's blueprints, the Dimensional Map, and the Dimensionator itself, then we can head out. Didn't you say you knew where that book was, Kit?" Kaden asks, looking over his shoulder. "Called… 'Tales of a Teenage Terraklon', or something like that?"
"'The Life and Times of a Teenage Terraklon', yes, an excellent read that I myself had finished quite recently." She replies with a smile. "I last returned it to its proper place in section 153-T, second shelf from the bottom."
Kaden groans. "Seriously?"
"What?" Clank asks confusedly. "Is that far away?"
"A decent walk, yeah. Probably five minutes, at least." Kaden confirms with a shrug. "The downside of having extensive Archives built up over generations in an infinite space to house nearly limitless knowledge; There's a lot of walking." He adds with a smile.
Clank groans, hanging his head for a moment before picking his gaze back up to him, stopping.
"Well, considering the small trek, and the fact it is the last item we need to fetch from within the Archives before we depart, I propose that Kit and I merely wait for you at the exit as you fetch the book, considering we are close by it."
"Wait, what? Why?" Kaden asks, furrowing his brows.
"Because I, quite frankly, do not wish to carry all of these books any longer—and I wager that you are not so keen on carrying that book along the way, either." Clank explains, gesturing to the Atlas under Kaden's arm. "So, you could just leave it with Kit and I as we wait for you at the exit, where we can grab both the Dimensionator, its blueprints, and the Dimensional Map as we leave."
"That does seem like a sound idea, now that you mention it." Kit offers plainly with a shrug.
"…Yeah, that sounds like a good idea, actually." Kaden admits with a nod after thinking about it for a brief moment, looking back down at the extensive (and heavy) book in his arms.
But then, he looks back to Clank with a smile.
"Well, if that's the case, then here ya go." He says, placing the Atlas on top of Clank's already tall pile in his arms, making him stumble a bit from the sudden and unexpected added weight as Kaden walks off. "Be back in a bit, then! We'll get going and call Ratchet and Rivet back once I come back, then we'll head back home."
"Very well, then. Call me if you need assistance in locating it!" Kit calls back in a friendly tone.
And after Kaden gives a small wave before disappearing in the nigh endless shelves of the Interdimensional Archives, Clank and Kit begin to make their way back to the entrance of the Archives, the portal shimmering behind them as the Dimensional Map floats on display in front of a large console, the Dimensionator sitting atop of it, just as Ratchet left it.
"It is good to see that Ratchet at least had some foresight to do such a thing." Clank comments, placing his books down as he looks at it. "Stars know that we have had too many bad experiences of people stealing the Dimensionator for nefarious purposes."
"I suppose that is quite literal in this specific instance, though, is it not?" Kit replies with a small chuckle at her play on words.
Clank gives a chuckle as well. "That it is. At least we will be back home with the Lombaxes soon to avoid such a calamity."
Upon saying that, however, he freezes for a moment, and then gives another small chuckle as Kit gives him a bemused look.
"What is it?" She asks.
"Oh, nothing. It is just that it only occurred to me that the Lombax dimension could be considered a home to me and Ratchet now." He explains with a shrug. "For a large part of our lives, the Lombax dimension seemed like such a mysterious and nigh unreachable place—and a place that Ratchet was opposed on even visiting at first, in fact. But now, it is… Well… Just as I said. A comfortable place we can call a home." He says with a small smile.
"Oh…" Kit replies, giving a small nod. "Yes… Ratchet has told me of his reluctance on meeting his species when we first met. Mostly to persuade me to take a 'leap of faith' with a partnership, as he said. Just as he did with the Lombaxes."
"Interesting." He says pleasantly. "It seems that he must have done quite a lot to help you, seeing how you are now partners with Rivet, and how you two apparently began this journey opposed to the mere idea of a partnership. You two seem quite happy together, from what little I have seen." He adds with a smile and a nod.
However, while he smiled, Kit doesn't return it, that cold feeling from her gut rising once again as her mind immediately screams how wrong he is with his statement.
She and Rivet were happy, yes. Were. Until Kit learned the truth of her past—of their past—and a truth that entirely stood to crumble their entire relationship together, right as it was beginning to blossom.
She wanted to simply gloss over his words and give an empty response to change the topic to avoid it, wanting to desperately return to her blissful and willful ignorance of her reality, but… Clank had experience. If he and Ratchet had been partners for nearly their entire lives—literally his entire life, in Clank's case—then he must surely have some advice for how to navigate such a delicate situation.
Right?
"Erm…" Kit speaks up, breaking her silence as she nervously twiddles her fingers. "Clank… Have you and Ratchet ever… Gone through something bad, together?" She meekly asks.
"I… What?" He replies, surprised by that unexpected response, blinking. "That is… Um… Well, yes, obviously. This entire adventure could very well class as us going through something bad, as we usually find ourselves doing." He says, gesturing around.
"Perhaps I should clarify." Kit replies, shaking her head, looking back up to him. "I mean… Have you and Ratchet ever gone through something bad together… Between each other? Something that perhaps… Tested your partnership?"
"Oh." Clank blankly mutters, optics widening as the gravity of the situation sinks in, recognizing that there certainly must be a purpose to Kit asking such a thing. "Well… Yes. Obviously. In fact, it was right when we first met, and how we had conflicting ideologies when it came to dealing with Alonzo Drek, our first villain we defeated together."
"I… I know about that, Clank, Ratchet had told us the story of your first adventure together, and he also elaborated on your conflict with each other." She says, shrugging. "But… That was simply you two having opposite ideas, is all, just as you said. Was there anything that created tension between you two because of… Something you did to each other? Or to one of you?" She asks weakly, looking away.
Clank doesn't immediately respond, instead maintaining his squint, inspecting Kit and her nervous façade, her oddly specific question, and how there was something clearly eating her up if she was asking such a question in the first place at Clank's innocuous comment about her and Rivet's partnership.
"Kit, I am sorry if I am overstepping my boundaries, having just met you, but… What is wrong? Why are you asking me this?" He questions softly, reaching over to place a hand on her shoulder.
She looks to his hand in slight surprise, glancing to him as well, and maintaining eye contact with his optics, staring back at her with concern and worry.
And for a few seconds, she doesn't say anything, only looking away, mulling over something in her head as Clank patiently waited for a response, giving her as much time as she needed to decide if she wished to voice her woes with him.
But then, she sighs, looking over her shoulder slightly before taking a step back, and hoisting herself on top of her pile of books, sitting on top of them as she twiddles her fingers in her lap.
"I… I have done something terrible, Clank." She says quietly, staring at the floor. "Because I am a horrible person."
"Wait, what? Why would you say such a thing?" Clank replies with surprise, also taking a seat upon his own books next to her. "Ratchet has spoken nothing but praise and respect towards you to me and Kaden, and I have yet to see reason to doubt his words!"
"That is because you do not know the reason." Kit says gravely. "Do you know who I was, Clank? Who I am?"
"I… Erm… I highly doubt that being Gary's apprentice and a caretaker of the Interdimensional Archives is what you are referring to, so… Is it because you are apparently a previous minion for Emperor Nefarious?" He questions innocently.
She nods. "And do you know what I did for him? Did Ratchet tell you?"
Clank simply shakes his head, listening.
"I… I killed for him, Clank. I destroyed. I was a weapon." She says somberly, staring into his optics. "I am a warbot, Clank. At any moment, I can change into an unstoppable tank thrice the size of a fighter if I so wish, armed with some of the Empire's deadliest weapons ever made, outfitted with nigh-impenetrable trillium armor, and… And I was excellent at my job. I was one of his most valued soldiers." She says miserably, staring at the floor again.
"…Oh." Clank mutters almost inaudibly, taken aback by this shocking information coming from what he perceived to be one of the friendliest and most soft-spoken people he's ever met.
"I… I hate those years of my life. There is not a day that goes by that I wish I could take it all back, and I deeply regret the deaths of innocent people I caused in his name. But… There is always one particular incident that always haunts me." She recounts, staring ahead, every detail already vivid in her memory. "Stopping a rebel from infiltrating Nefarious Tower as I was on my patrol."
Clank doesn't respond, instead listening intently with an anxious yet sympathetic ear as Kit crosses her arms, hanging her head down with a sorrowful sigh.
"I still do not know what it was, exactly, but after I shot that rebel, and having her look at me with those fearful, terrified eyes… It woke me up to what I was, and that I hated what I was; a weapon. At that moment, I did not want to be a weapon anymore, or work for Nefarious, or hurt anyone like that rebel ever again. So, I let her get away, and I escaped Nefarious City to eventually reside her on Savali in exile, where Gary has been trying to help me through my journey. But…"
Clank observes the grip on her arms tightening as she closes her eyes.
"Rivet told me how she lost her arm on the flight here. And it sounded so familiar to me somehow, even though I had never met her in my life before, and I did not understand why it felt like I knew the story until the realization dawned on me… That horrible, horrible realization…"
She takes a breath, opening her eyes before turning her head, staring into Clank's with an expression of regret, sorrow, and fear.
"Clank… She was that rebel I stopped that night. I was the one who took Rivet's arm!" She declares, placing a hand on her chest.
Clank's optics widen as his jaw drops slightly, not expecting a revelation such as that, now perfectly understanding her prior anxiousness on the topic of partnerships, and 'bad things you did to your partner'.
However, while he was too stunned to reply to her statement, Kit paid no mind, instead frantically gesturing with her hands as she continues on.
"Just—How am I supposed to go on now? How are we supposed to go on?! Rivet has begun to trust me, and I began to trust her, but how can we trust each other after I hurt her like that?! I am the reason she loathes Nefarious as much as she does now, and she is the reason why I hate myself and the purpose I was built for! I was beginning to think of Rivet as a partner—no, a friend! A friend I began to enjoy time with, someone who I was connecting with, someone who was helping me with my problems—But how can I be friends with someone that I nearly killed?! I just… I… I…"
She gives a deep, sorrowful sigh, planting her face in her hands for a few moments before looking back to Clank with an utterly miserable expression.
"I do not want to lose this friendship, Clank." Kit says despondently. "I do not want Rivet to hate me. She has begun to mean a lot to me, but… I just do not know how this friendship is to survive if I tell her the truth. I am just… Scared." She finishes quietly.
A silence befalls the two of them, neither of them saying anything, nor moving at all, the only sounds filling the empty space being the subtle shimmering of the portal behind them, and the echoing, empty ambience of the infinite pocket dimension that were the Interdimensional Archives.
Soon, however, their tense silence is broken as Kit feels a hand on her shoulder, prompting her to look over to Clank, wearing a sympathetic but encouraging expression.
"I think that is a good start, Kit." He says softly with a small smile.
Kit only blinks, staring at him with some confusion before she responds.
"What is?" She asks, her voice still tinged with misery.
"The fact that you are scared." He answers. "That in itself shows hope for you and Rivet's friendship, because if you are scared, then it shows that you care. And while I might not know exactly how to help you through this, Kit, I do know that is the most important thing to a friendship." He says optimistically.
It was Kit's turn to remain silent as she doesn't quite have a response to that, opting instead to listen to Clank as he continues, removing his hand from her shoulder.
"You asked if Ratchet and I had gone through conflict with each other, barring our first time meeting each other. And the answer to that is yes, and somewhat recently, in fact." He begins. "Back when we first encountered Tachyon and learned of what happened to the Lombaxes and the Dimensionator, Ratchet was at first determined to meet his species, naturally… But perhaps to a fault.
"I advised that should we have found the Dimensionator along our journey, it should be destroyed as soon as possible, as I had… Good reason at the time to believe that if we did not, it would lead to disastrous events, being the dangerous device that it is." He explains, but with a brief moment of hesitation, not wanting to open the can of worms that his 'good reason' was being given glimpses of the future from the Zoni.
And although Kit did happen to notice that brief pause, she lets him continue anyway, aptly listening to his words as Clank interlaced his fingers in his lap.
"Ratchet heavily disagreed with me, explaining that without the Dimensionator, he would have no hope of meeting his race that he had always dreamed about visiting. And… Well… We had argued a lot on the subject. To a point that that it was not unlikely for us to have split up from it, with neither of us believing the other to be correct in their beliefs. It is a time I do not look back on fondly." He says with a poignant sigh.
However, it is only a moment before he then picks his head back up, looking back to Kit with an optimistic expression.
"But we had managed to maintain our partnership even through it all. Even though he was at one point willing to abandon me in lieu of his species, we stuck together, defeated Tachyon, and he put in the effort to find me after I was shortly kidnapped for two years afterward." He says pointedly. "And do you know why, Kit? Because even despite our differences, and our arguing, and our opposing beliefs on such a significant subject to Ratchet's life… We cared about each other and our friendship above all else.
"Now, Kit… Do you care about your friendship with Rivet?" He asks.
"I… Erm, yes, of course. That is why I am saying all of this to you, and why I am so worried about… My mistake." She answers, briefly looking away as she finishes her sentence.
"Good. And, tell me, do you know if Rivet cares, as well?" He follows up, gesturing up with a hand.
Kit instantly thinks back to the conversation she and Rivet had back on Sargasso, right after finding Ratchet, and after Rivet had found out about Kit's previous affiliation with the Emperor, and how she admitted that very thing.
"…Yes." She responds with a nod.
"Even after she had voiced trepidation with working with robots, let alone those who worked under Emperor Nefarious, as Ratchet had described?"
"She… She did." Kit answers quietly. "When she found out about my past with him… She was only most upset that I, as her partner, lied to her, more than anything. She said that she really did want it to work out between the both of us."
"Then I believe that you two will overcome this development." Clank states with a confident nod. "Despite quite testing conditions, you two put in the effort to stay together, because you both want to stay together. That is already a great sign for your future together."
"But, Clank, she was angry that I lied to her about my involvement with the Empire." Kit returns, looking back over to him with a worried expression. "I swore to her I would never lie to her like that again—especially about my past—But I am doing just that! I-I mean, I told her that I used to be an accountant, not a warbot! If I tell her that I lied yet again, let alone about how I was the one who hurt her… I… I…" She stammers, frantically gesturing with her hands.
Clank places a hand on her shoulder, making her take pause as she looks back to him, seeing him wear a calm expression and gentle smile on his features.
"I am not promising that she will not be angry, Kit. In all likelihood, she will be furious. Or hurt. Or both." He says gently. "And it might be possible that she wishes to split up with you, which I believe is understandable, given the situation."
As Kit slumps a bit, disheartened by his assessment, he quickly follows up with a raised finger.
"But… If Rivet really does care for this partnership as much as you do, Kit… She will come back. She will forgive you. She has seen that you are no longer that monster you perceive yourself as, and that you have made great effort to do good by her in the mere act of you telling the truth."
While Kit was admittedly a little bit reassured by his words, along with the confidence he said them, she can't help but nervously twiddle her fingers once more, still feeling some reservations about the idea.
"But… How are you so sure, Clank?" She asks. "What I have done to her… I am not sure it is forgivable. I do not forgive even myself for my crimes, so how can I expect her to forgive me?"
"Because she is not you." He answers pointedly. "While you perhaps may not forgive yourself, that does not guarantee Rivet will not. She has gone through her own struggles, her own experiences, and—most importantly—she has known you only by your actions and words. Your actions and words that have already proven to her that you are a changed, better person than the robot that worked for her enemy, and that you are a person she desires to work with as a partner."
He gives her shoulder a little pat as he smiles.
"It is nearly impossible to forgive an enemy, Kit, but it is even harder to hate a friend. And that is exactly who you are to Rivet." Clank states with a firm nod. "And that is why I am so sure that you two will pull through this, Kit. I believe in the both of you."
For a few moments, Kit doesn't respond, instead looking back at Clank's smiling face, his hand still upon her shoulder, looking back at her with such confident optimism that she couldn't help but consider that he was entirely right.
And to be honest… She was starting to believe him. Rivet clearly cared for Kit as a friend, even past her insecurities of working with someone, even past her prejudice of working with a robot, and even past her prejudice of working with an ex-Nefarious soldier like her.
And if she was able to move past all of that… Then… Was it really so unbelievable to possibly think that Rivet would forgive Kit for what she did?
While a great part of her simply refused that very notion… Another part of her believed it.
For the first time since their conversation started, a small smile appears on Kit's face as she looks back to Clank, finally starting to feel at least some hope that things will turn out fine between herself and Rivet, and that she could still come out of this without losing a friend, all thanks to—
"Phew!" A voice suddenly cuts through the air, startling both Clank and Kit as they jump a bit in their seats upon their piles of books, looking into the rest of the Archives to see Kaden starting to walk back, holding up a small book.
"Found it!" He says happily, putting it down as he looks over it. "Took me a bit, but looks like Mags got his book back. Now he can finally stop all of his whining about never getting to know how it ends, like I've had to listen to for the last two decades." He says with some tiredness.
"I don't even know why he liked this story in the first place, the summary looks lame. I mean, 'a teenage Terraklon finds himself in a new high school where he's the heartthrob of various girls, from the bookworms to the gossip girls, so how will he navigate this new chapter of his life?'" He says incredulously, reading off of the back of the novel. "Why was he even interested in this in the first place?! This is a book for teenagers, and he was a grown-ass adult even twenty years ago when he started it! Just…"
He groans, rolling his eyes as he continues walking towards Clank and Kit, looking over to them.
"Well, guess I'll get a chance to ask him in a minute here, seeing how we're ready to get going and all. You guys ready?"
"I believe so." Clank answers back, giving a nod before he turns his head to Kit beside him. "Are you?"
"I… Erm… Yes, I am." She agrees, nodding as well.
"Sweet, let's grab the Dimensional Map, the Dimensionator, its blueprints, then call Ratchet and Rivet to meet up with us." Kaden replies, holding up a thumbs-up.
"Very well. Kit and I will be right behind you." Clank replies as he hops off the books, Kaden still walking back over to them.
He bends down to pick up his pile of books, but is stopped as he feels a hand on his shoulder, making him take a moment to pause as he looks over to see Kit standing beside him, giving him a small smile.
"Thank you, Clank." She says quietly yet earnestly. "You have been a great help. I can see why Ratchet speaks so highly of you."
He gives a small chuckle as he nods. "It is no problem at all, Kit. Ratchet spoke highly of you as well, and if you are a friend to him, then you are a friend of mine. And, stars forbid, should things with Rivet not work out… I hope you know that, at least."
"I will, Clank. Thank you." She responds gratefully, retracting her hand, giving him one more smile before she bends down to pick up her books alongside Clank as Kaden finally reaches them, turning to the console, and promptly muttering under his breath about how the hell this thing worked again.
"And then I was in the middle of fighting that one Juggernaut after I blasted the last trooper, and I almost had him, too! But then you and Kit had to swoop in and steal my thunder." Ratchet says playfully, sitting atop a rocky mesa overlooking the vast Savali landscape, a gentle breeze ruffling his fur.
And sitting beside him, dangling her legs over the edge, Rivet laughs as she reaches over to punch his shoulder, making him laugh as well.
"Oh, so that's what saving your ass is called, then? 'Stealing your thunder?'" She questions with a grin, raising her eyebrow.
"Hey, I could've handled him fine, but no, you had to come in and save the day, being a selfless and helpful hero, I guess." Ratchet says dramatically, waving his hands up with another chuckle.
Rivet snickers a bit as well, but it slowly tapers off as she digests his little tease; calling her a hero. A word that she honestly wasn't quite used to yet, if she was being totally honest.
Ratchet notices a lack of sarcastic or joyful response like she's always chimed in on the walk here as he recounted exactly what went down in him tearing down the Imperial Outpost on Savali, and her silence made him furrow his brows as he looks to her with some worry.
"Rivet? You good?" He asks.
"Huh? Oh, y-yeah, I'm fine, totally!" Rivet quickly replies with a smile, snapping out of her thoughts.
Ratchet simply raises a brow of his own, and while he felt assured this wasn't something serious, he also didn't fully believe her either. And upon seeing that he wasn't buying it, either, Rivet instead sighs as she leans on her knees.
"Sorry." She says. "Just… Still not used to being called a hero like you, is all. Just threw me for a bit of a loop." She responds, looking to him with a small, nervous smile and a shrug.
"Oh." He says dumbly, glancing off for a moment before shaking his head, giving her a firm smile. "Well, it's true! You're a real hero, Rivet, there's no doubt about it. You put your life on the line to help the rest of the galaxy against the Emperor, you were willing to go through all of this to help me find Clank and my dad, you had the strength and kindness to give Kit another chance at this partnership of yours, and—most of all—you denied the chance to visit the Lombaxes for the greater good."
He reaches over, placing a hand on her shoulder, his smile not faltering as he looks into her eyes.
"I've had to do that same exact thing, Rivet. I know that took guts, and wasn't easy to do." He states before tilting his head from side to side. "I mean, are you still meeting them? Yeah, but that doesn't matter. Point is you put everyone above yourself first, and let me tell you, that is easily the most important part of being the hero you are."
Rivet stares at him for a few moments, feeling incredibly flattered and also empowered by his continued reassurance that she was more than just some outlaw rebel, and also acutely aware of the hand currently on her shoulder, offering a strangely comfortable sensation for her.
But… At the mention of the Lombaxes…
She sighs, looking back down again, and pulling her legs up over the edge to instead hug them to her chest as Ratchet retracts his hand at her movement.
"Yeah… The Lombaxes…" She mutters, idly staring down at the ground lying far below the mesa they sat on.
Ratchet stares at her for a few seconds, confused as to her sudden change in mood, but then it suddenly clicks, prompting his expression to soften to one of understanding as he too looks to the ground, draping an arm over his knee as his other leg dangles over the ledge.
"You're scared to meet them, aren't you?" He asks plainly.
"…How could I not be?" Rivet replies with a shrug. "I mean… I've thought about this for, like, my entire life, and I should be happy about it. Really happy. I mean, your dad says that these Praetorian guys can just wipe Nefarious out in a day, I have an uncle that I'm going to meet, I know my real family, hell, it seems like all of my life's biggest problems are being solved just like that!" She says, throwing a hand up.
"But…" She gives a long sigh, placing her hand back around her legs. "Now that it's actually happening, I'm just… Scared. And I know that's stupid, since I've done way scarier things than meet my people and my family that want to see me, but… It's just…"
"You wonder if you're going to be good enough for them." Ratchet finishes, slowly nodding. "You hear so much about them, and you put them up on this pedestal for your entire life, and you're scared that they're going to think that you suck or are just a crappy Lombax and kick you out for some reason. Bonus points if your family is apparently really cool, so you've got that whole legacy to live up to, too, apparently." He rambles.
Rivet turns her head to him, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape.
"That's… That's exactly it." She breathes. "How did you…"
"What? You think I was excited to meet the Lombaxes at first, Rivet? Hell no!" He laughs, looking back over to her.
"Really?"
"Yeah! I mean, was I excited at first? Totally. But then… Well… I got the chance to meet them for real—without having to worry about some asshole trying to take over the galaxy and stuff in the meantime, too… I didn't take it." He says with a shrug, looking off to the landscape in front of them. "I've… Actually had a lot of chances to meet them, too. Entire months, even. But I was just too scared to do it."
"…Why?" Rivet asks, now aptly listening to Ratchet, watching the content, if not slightly melancholy expression he wore on his face as he observed the Monks going about their business in the colony across the Archives before them.
"It… Was a lot of things, honestly." He says. "There were just the plain old nerves that were getting to me, and then the fact that I already had my own life in my own dimension, too. I had friends, a family in Clank and my girlfriend at the time, responsibilities as a hero, and a home."
Rivet felt a strange feeling at that small mention of 'girlfriend' as Ratchet said, for reasons she didn't quite understand, seeing how innocuous it was. And more than that… Why did she feel… Relief to that little tidbit of 'at the time'? Why was she thinking stuff like that now?
Thankfully, she yanks her mind off that train of thought as Ratchet sighs, hanging his head a bit.
"But mostly… I… Met someone who knew a lot more about the Lombaxes than I did." He says sadly. "About my family, even. Especially my dad. He kept talking about how great my dad was, being a General, a Keeper, a hero, an inventor, just all this cool stuff, and it just put up all these expectations that felt like I was supposed to live up to, even though I never even knew my dad or the Lombaxes. And even though I knew it was silly to think that I wouldn't be good enough even after I took down Tachyon of all people… I was still scared of it all, anyway. Scared of them. So… I didn't try to meet them for a long while."
A moment of silence befalls the two of them as his words linger in the air before them, marinating in the cool Savalian breeze, mingling with the sounds of rustling brush and leaves on the sparse vegetation surrounding them.
Rivet relaxes her tense posture, unwrapping her arms from her hugged knees as she instead lets them dangle over the edge of the cliff while looking over to Ratchet, resting her hands in her lap with a soft expression.
"What changed your mind?" She asks gently. "I mean, obviously you decided to go there anyway if you're here with your dad and all." She says, waving a hand around.
"You know… I'm not really sure there was a solid reason." Ratchet replies with a shrug. "I think it was boredom, mostly. I was retired for a bit, so I had a lot of free time, and I was bored from it, not running all over the galaxy fighting whoever. Then there was also the fact that me and my girlfriend broke up, too, so I didn't have much obligation there either. And through all of that, I just had a lot of time to think about the Lombaxes, and about my fears about them, and all that stuff.
"And then, one day, Clank just comes up and tells me that the Dimensionator—which was destroyed at that point—was all fixed up thanks to him, and all set and ready to go to hop to the Lombaxes just like that." He says, snapping his fingers in the world for emphasis. "And honestly… Even when he offered that… I was still kinda scared, and I almost said no again."
Rivet tilts her head, furrowing her brows. "Huh? I thought you said you changed your mind, though?"
"Mostly." Ratchet replies, glancing back to her with a wry smile. "Like, sixty to seventy percent changed. Changed enough that I forced myself to say yes and step through that portal—even if Clank had to kick my ass a bit to do so." He explains, giving a small chuckle.
"But… What made you not scared to do that, though? Like, there had to be something that happened to make you go through with it!" She argues, gesturing a hand over to him.
Ratchet doesn't immediately respond, staring off in thought for a few seconds before a small smile spreads across his lips, leaning on his hands planted behind him.
"It wasn't really something, Rivet. It was someone. Clank." He says pointedly. "If it wasn't for him… I wouldn't be with the Lombaxes right now, or with my dad, or even here with you right now. Hell, I'd still be a nobody mechanic on Veldin that'd just be dying to get off that dusty rock without him."
He turns his head back to Rivet, still wearing a smile.
"Honestly, you never really stop being scared, either. Not just about the Lombaxes or whatever, but a lot of stuff in life, too. As cool as I'd like to think I am… There's still at least a tiny part of me that gets a bit scared whenever I have to go out and be this big ol' hero." He says, rolling his eyes a bit before looking back into her eyes.
"But let me tell you, Rivet; It is a hell of a lot easier to be scared with someone there to help you through it, anyway. And that's why I got Clank, and why I love him so much." He says optimistically, his smile getting a little bigger. "He's been with me through thick and thin, and when it comes to the important stuff, like getting me to finally man up and meet my species, he was right there with me, every step of the way.
"Even though I was scared of meeting the Lombaxes, having those fears bubble up again, me trying to get cold feet and turn around, Clank didn't let me back down. He just told me that with whatever happens, he'll always be there for me like he always was. If they were great—which they are, I can assure you—then sweet. And if not, then screw them, we can just turn around and leave. If he didn't pound that into my head, I wouldn't have stepped through that portal." He finishes with a nod.
Rivet looks at him for a few moments, digesting his words before she slowly turns her head away in thought.
"…Huh." She mutters. "So… There wasn't really a trick or anything to… Not be scared of meeting the Lombaxes, then? It was just… Taking a leap of faith, sort of thing?" She asks uncertainly, the nervousness returning to her tone as she anxiously brushes her fingers over her metal prosthetic in her lap.
"Yep. That's all there really is to it." Ratchet says with a shrug.
"…Hm." Rivet hums, wearing a small frown. "That… Sounds a lot easier said than done, if I'm being honest."
"It is." Ratchet confirms with a nod. "But…"
He reaches over, firmly planting his hand on her shoulder with a small, comforting squeeze, Rivet snapping back to him in surprise as Ratchet shifts a bit to allow himself to fully face her.
"You won't be doing it alone." He tells her. "Like I said, the only reason I was able to take that leap was because I had Clank there with me. And you, well… You'll have him, and Kit, and my dad, and me, too. We'll be there to help you through it all."
He then tilts his head side to side.
"I mean, is it still going to be hard? Totally. But I just hope that you know that we're all here to help you out and support you through it, Rivet. Especially me." He adds with a smile. "I was in your shoes just a month ago, Rivet, and I know exactly what you're going through. I know how scary it can be, and overwhelming, too, but… I just hope you know that if you ever need a shoulder to lean on through it all like I did Clank, then you can count on me."
He gives her shoulder another squeeze, still wearing a soft smile.
"Okay?" He asks gently.
And as Ratchet stared into her eyes, she stared back into his own, a little lost in them while being very aware of the feeling of his hand on her shoulder, his reassuring words of his soothing voice echoing in her rapidly calming mind.
It was strange to admit, but… In this moment with Ratchet, perched upon some rocky mesa overlooking a picturesque view of these tranquil badlands, feeling his touch—however insignificant it may be…
She felt that same warm fuzziness glowing inside of her as it had several times already today while spending time with him, but this time, she was able to put actual words to it now:
Safe and comfortable.
And as she has finally come to name these odd feelings that have plagued her all day, Rivet puts on a growing smile as she reaches over, placing her own hand on his shoulder as he glances to it for a quick moment before returning his gaze to her own.
"Okay." Rivet says contentedly with a nod. "Thank you, Ratchet. For… Well… A lot. Especially with the Lombaxes. I'm… Glad I was able to meet you."
Ratchet huffs a small laugh through his nose as he nods in return.
"So am I, Rivet." He says blissfully. "I'm glad I made a new friend in you, too."
And for a while, neither of them say anything. Only staring into each other's eyes, not making any attempt to retract their hands from each other's shoulders, and just simply enjoying the other's comfortable presence, filling them each with a soothing feeling, easing Rivet's nerves about her imminent trip to meet her family and her species, and calming Ratchet down that this unexpected adventure was about to end just fine.
For all intents and purposes, the moment just felt… Perfect.
Just the two of them, sitting atop this mesa over this beautiful landscape, supporting each other, grateful to have stumbled into each other from opposite dimensions despite the extraordinary odds.
The moment felt perfect, right, wonderful, and neither of them could think of anything better to make it even more—
"RATCHET!" Kaden's voice yells through his communicator.
Both Ratchet and Rivet jump up with startled yells of their own—Rivet damn near falling off the edge they sat on if it weren't for them holding onto each other while Ratchet fumbles for his communicator.
"Huh? What?!" He responds through the device with concern, immediately thinking that his dad and Clank got kidnapped again while they were talking somehow and that they would have to go and track him down all over again just as they were about to—
"We're ready to go, just popped out of the Archives, come meet us down here." Kaden's voice replies in a very casual tone before he starts to snicker, eventually erupting into all-too-amused laughter.
Ratchet stares at his communicator in disbelief, still feeling his heart pound from the scare, and he glances up to Rivet to see her wearing a similar look of confusion and annoyance before he looks back down to the communicator again with a frown.
"Wha—Then why the hell did you scream like that?!" He demands, planting his free hand on his hip. "I thought you were in trouble!"
"Because we can see you from here, and I thought it'd be hilarious to scare you and see you jump." Kaden replies as his laughter tapers down, Ratchet able to visualize the smirk he was undoubtedly wearing on his face right now. "Look up!"
Furrowing his brows, Ratchet does so, and looks up to the landscape before them and towards the Interdimensional Archives, where he's able to just make out Kaden waving his hand around at him while Clank and Kit stand on either side of him—the former of whom Ratchet was pretty sure was shaking his head.
Ratchet rolls his eyes.
"And what made you so sure that neither of us would fall off this cliff when you pulled your stupid joke, huh? I mean, Rivet nearly did just that!" He argues into the communicator, throwing a hand over to her.
"Oh, please—I just watched you two fight out of a crossfire between space pirates and an Imperial empire. Even if you fell off that cliff, you'd walk it off no problem." Kaden replies.
"Gee, thanks, dad. Glad to see you care so much about our well-being. Really feeling the love." Ratchet says dryly as Rivet can't help but giggle a bit at their childish argument.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever, you smartass." He replies. "Anyway, if you're done being butthurt about my totally hilarious joke, get down here as soon as you can, because again, we're ready to go. Got the books, map, and Dimensionator. All we need now is to just get back home, round up the Praetorians, then it's time to kick some robot ass. How about it?"
"Sounds great, Kaden, we'll be with you guys in a minute!" Rivet replies, leaning over a bit to talk through Ratchet's communicator—of whom was a little surprised at her leaning in so close to him.
"Great! Try to hurry up, though, because Clank won't stop whining about carrying these books for me."
"Are you forgetting that my systems are still compromised from our initial kidnapping, Kaden? I hardly have nominal strength in my servos to even walk, let alone carry these large books!" They hear Clank argue in the background. "I am well within my right to complain when you are completely able-bodied and capable to—"
"Oh, would you look at that, one of the monks are coming to ask something, see ya!" Kaden quickly adds before the call abruptly ends, cutting Clank off in his tangent about how undeserving of Kaden's sass he is.
Ratchet sighs as he puts his communicator back in his pocket while Rivet snickers a bit from beside him.
"Clank and your dad seem like a lot of fun to be around, at least." She says amusedly.
"When they're not being smartasses at least, yeah." Ratchet agrees, giving her a small smile and a shrug.
But then, he takes a big breath, and picks his legs up from the edge of the mesa to stand up, taking a moment to brush the dust off his pants before he looks back down to Rivet, giving another smile as he holds his hand out to her.
"So… Ready to meet the Lombaxes, then?" He asks.
Rivet looks up to his cheerful face, then his outstretched hand, then back up to his face again before giving a nod and a smile, grabbing onto his hand in turn.
"Probably not." She says amusedly as Ratchet helps her stand up as well. "But then again, I'll probably never be."
As she says that, however, Ratchet begins to snicker, making Rivet frown a bit as she tilts her head, furrowing her brows.
"What's so funny?" She questions.
"That was the exact same thing I said before I met them." Ratchet answers before squeezing her hand. "But, just remember. You're not doing this alone. You've got me and everyone else there to support you. Right?"
She smiles, feeling that same fuzzy feeling of safety and comfort within her once more as she gives his hand a squeeze in return.
"Right." She says with a nod.
Once again, a brief moment of silence passes as they simply stand there, smiling, and looking into each other's eyes, and feeling confident that whatever happens from here on out, they'll at least make it through together with each other.
However, after a few seconds, Ratchet glances down, and suddenly freezes, making Rivet slightly confused as well before she too looks down, and joins him as they both instantly realize that they were still holding hands well after Ratchet simply helped her up—and how neither of them even attempted to pull away, either.
That is, until they both instantly let go, nervously glancing away while rubbing the back of their heads while Ratchet awkwardly clears his throat.
"S-So, uh… Time to head back to the Archives, then!" He says with a perhaps too wide grin, thumbing over to said structure.
"Uh… Yeah! Totally!" Rivet agrees with a fervent nod, also wearing an anxious smile before she gestures off to their side. "Lead the way, I guess!"
"Sure thing! Right!" Ratchet replies, raising a finger while looking back to the path that would lead them back to Kaden, Clank and Kit before glancing back to Rivet, to which they both give a simultaneous nod before beginning upon the path together, walking side-by-side as they had while getting here.
But as they initiate a small conversation about what kind of food Rivet can expect from the Lombaxes to break the awkward tension, neither of them seemed to notice the fact that they were now walking a little closer together than they had before.