The Mark of Black: The Oneshot Chronicles Chapter 2: Starship Phoenix, a ratchet and clank fanfic

Dear readers,

Seeing as I myself have had some time today I decided to load up a new chapter as well! I hope you will like it as much as the first one. (Even with my drastic changes to where I originally started)

Enjoy

Starship Phoenix

Ratchet cocked an eyebrow towards his companion who kept looking at Ratchet "What! Do I have something on my face?" "Nothing Ratchet, I was admiring the view… What is over there anyway?" as he pointed towards a small passage next to the Gadgetron vendor. "That hallway leads towards the showers and the other crewmembers quarters. If you wish we can go there, your call." He hoped that Abel would say no, because frankly? He didn't care much for tours around the ship. "Well if I'm going to stay here I will need to know the ship. So yea let's go there." That response made Ratchet give out a very small sigh as he wondered what he had gotten himself into this time.

As both Lombaxes made there way towards the bathroom it hit Ratchet like a brick. "Abel sorry, I need to go quickly there is something I still had to do today! It's very important." "Perhaps I can help you?" asked Abel with a happy voice but his face changed more sad when Ratchet told him not to. "Just ummm, well walk around and meet me back at the hallway in say 30 minutes ok?" as Abel sighed at seeing Ratchet run he himself walked further observing all the rooms and chambers he could find.

Ratchet ran as fast as he could swear to himself how he could have forgotten it! "I'm such an oaf today." He said angrily as he made his way towards the bridge. Hitting the control panel and giving the machine order to transport him to the bridge as quickly as it could. The machine began to move towards the bridge. The compartment opened and Ratchet quickly hastened towards his controls quickly jumping into his chair.

He began to type something on the keyboard and within a few seconds a large screen in front of him began to light up. "Please Standby" could be read of the blackish screen. "Come on pick it up. How can I have forgotten it!!!" But before he was able to finish of the sentence the screen changed from black to another image. One could see the slender figure of a women clad in a purple uniform, whose tail swept from one side to another. Her arms were folded across her chest and one could hear the tapping of a foot on the ground. Ratchet got a bit nervous at the sight before him. It was Sasha alright but she didn't look very content at seeing him at all. "Hi Sashs, I am terribly sorry that I didn't call you earlier… There were some 'problems' we had to overcome here." He said being very careful not to spill anything that might upset the Cazar. Sasha gave Ratchet an imminent look "A 'problem'? What kind problem then?" "Well we found a ship floating in space and we went to check it out. We found a survivor on it, that's why I was late." said Ratchet not trying to give away to much information at once. "Well then hotshot, you're off the hook. But next time don't try that again" she said winking to him and shaking her hips a bit in a somewhat very adult manner towards him. This made him swallow hard, and even harder for him was not trying to drool at that moment as ratchet found Sasha looked stunning, but he quickly got a hold of himself "Oh I almost forgot Sasha, happy birthday… And sorry for being late I'm truly sorry! And I'l assure you that I'll give you your 'present' soon." He said in the cutest tone he could almost making Sasha melt then and there whilst giggling at what Ratchet actually mend. "I'm sure you will Captain. But I need to go now." She said blinking an eye towards him.

Meanwhile not far from the bridge Abel was still searching around, even if the Phoenix wasn't as grand as the Dark Spectrum he was on, he was still amazed at the technology and how many people (and robots) that worked here. He was so occupied he didn't even see Clank coming out of the door in front of him. "Ooh my!" said the small robot as Abel almost stepped on him. "WOW Clank! Sorry man, didn't see you there… I should be more careful where I step… hehehe." said the Lombax at he small robot. "That is alright Abel, it happens quit a lot with Ratchet as well. I am used to it." Tough Clank found it a bit annoying that there were now TWO Lombaxes that might trample him! Abel found himself overcome with guilt and proposed to do something later on with Clank. "Care for a match of Chess perhaps? I heard you're good at it so perhaps you would accept the challenge." "I would be honoured to have a game with you, Abel… heheheheeee" giggled Clank at the taught of winning from another Lombax. Abel didn't understand what Clank found so amusing but he couldn't care less. He made his way over towards the elevator and went down. As the doors of the elevator slowly opened the same happened with Abel's eyes. He couldn't believe what he saw, there were a few if not a dozen of fighters in here. "This must be a hanger of some sort!" he said with glee as his eyes widened more at how shiny and bright the spacecrafts looked. As soon as he approached one of them he heard someone "You like?" said the voice. It sounded like a robot voice and it came from behind Abel, as soon as he turned around he was greeted by a 6 feet robot who unlike those on the upper level of the ship had a more orange kind of armour on. "Those are the standard F-304 interceptors. Nothing is faster or stronger then these birds! Heck I should know I've flown with these babies's during the war." said the robot proudly at the small Lombax. He even said how many enemy Tyrranoid fighters he had taken down, probably to impress the new member of the crew. "So you're a pilot here? How come I haven't seen any others like you then?" "Well we stay on the lower decks in case of emergency's. But those things rarely happen." Abel walked over towards one of the planes, the ship was very small only fitted for two persons tops. One chair was in front of the cockpit which obviously was for the pilot, the other one was mounted a little bit more to the back perhaps for a gunner or some other important function. It was of a very flat design and the wings were around 5-8 meters (15 to 24 feet) wide on each side. Beneath the wing hang several rocket launchers probably for 'intercepting' enemy crafts. On the front of the ships nose was a small rail gun Abel had never seen such a device before. "What is that?" pointing towards the black gun sticking out just below the nose of the craft. "Oh that little gizmo? That is a rail gun standard issue in the Galactic Navy mind you. Fires bullets at great velocity! It can gather up to around speeds of Mach 10 which is 3500 cubits per second at sea level mind you!" This startled Abel a bit as he had never known that a weapon could fire at that great a speed. He wanted to ask something to the pilot, but was hesitant for some reason. He thanked the pilot for the information and went back towards the elevator. Seeing as his 30 minutes were almost over.

He made his way out of the elevator towards the main hallway where a small fur ball was waiting for another fur ball to meet him. "I was almost about to give an order to search for you." Ratchet gave a small smile to Abel. "Where did you run of to anyway?" he asked rudly at the other male "Ummm I was at the hangar, one of the pilots shared some Intel with me about it." "Next time inform me before you go on small adventures like that! The hangar could have been decompressed you know. And whilst robots don't have the problem of breathing, we sadly do." This gave a small laugh out of Abel which stunned Ratchet as he didn't understand how Abel could not see the danger he could have put himself into. "Riiiight… Well let's move on shall we? I got a message e a few minutes back that our room is ready." Abel looked a bit curious at him "Yup you heard it right, you are sleeping in my room." Ratchet soon wished he hadn't said that as Abel lunged forward at him which resulted in both of them falling down on the cold floor beneath them. Ratchet even had a hard time to breathe by the weight of Abel on top of him. "… Abel…Can't…breath….Gaah" he was relieved as the pressure on his chest was lifted and oxygen could finally get back into his lungs. "We are gonna be roomies!!!" said Abel completely overtaken by joy even going as far as what seemed to be a small dance. "Don't get your horses up yet! There are some rules you know!" "I don't mind, what are they?!" "Firstly, never wake up the captain for any reason… Secondly bathing is required as I don't want our quarters to be filthy or smelly. And thirdly lights go out at 23:00." Abel eyed at ratchet with surprise "Is it only that? I was thinking of actual problems. Not small things like this." He said sticking out his tongue towards ratchet, who turned a little red, finding it rude what Abel just did. As both of them walked into the large room the first thing that the new Lombax noticed was the large flat screen television and the VG-9000. "You got a VG-9000!!! Man you must be one lucky dude!" Ratchets seeing his opportunity to impress Abel more "Not only that but it includes a Manex Fireball pro controller, VR headset and a Zero-G dancepad attachment as well!" he said in a tone that would make anyone feel poor. Then again it was a state of the art gaming system.

"My bed is over there." As he pointed towards his right side, which showed a king size bed. It was covered by greenish silk cheets. The pillows also were fabricated out of silk. "Over there is your own bed, now I don't know what do you prefer? I can easily have it created towards your liking." But it seemed that wouldn't be necessary as Abel himself was already jumping up and down the bed whilst shouting something that ratchet didn't quit understood. "Oh yea we eat at 18:00 so be there in time or you'l need to eat Helga's stew!" said ratchet as he got disgusted at the thinking of Helga's cooking. "Sounds delicioues! No worry's I'l be on time." Said Abel still hopping on the bed as ratchet left the room, the automatic door closing behind him as he left towards the hallway.

"Hey Ratchet, buddy, wassn't that a great idea of mine?..." said Qwark towards the Lombax as he had entered the hallway. "What do you mean Qwark? Because frankly, I can't follow you!" "Why having that Avel?" "Abel!" said Ratchet with a low growl as he bared a teeth or two "Whatever, towards our crew. Yes only I ,Captain Qwark, could have done something so supersioues like having him to be on our crew." Ratchet wanted to point out of the word Qwark just used "Umm Qwark you din…" "Ratchet I do hope that you shall once know that being a Captain is not the hardest job on this ship. But then again who has a harder job then me? Hehehe right?!" asked the man at Ratchet, who himself almost couldn't contain his laughter no more. "Well Qwark, perhaps they need your great 'assistance' somewhere?" "Your right! This ship needs a man with my talent, a man with my charism and intelect… Whose handsomeness can not be contained by anything. People would murder for just a small drop of my raw animal instincts… One ion of my well formed body..." "Umm Qwark can we speed this up? I've got places to be you know!" said ratchet a little annoyed "Let's see, hard job, charism, intelect, handsome, instincts… ah yes! IRON HARD ABS!!!... Ok I'm done." "Finally" said Ratchet on a very low voice to make sure Qwark haddn't heard him say it.

As soon as Ratchet had goten himself out of another one of Qwark's speeches, he ran fast towards the bridge, he had something to prepare and it had to be done before 18:00… "Let's hope Abel won't find out!"

A small update I know, I do hope that this chapter was not a bit to over the top or the exact opposite. As I am still trying to get a right feeling for it!