This chapter should've came out sooner if it had not been for some extraordinary circumstances that prevented me from doing so, but more on that in the end, lol.
Hope you enjoy, because I had a lot of fun writing this one!
Ratchet yells as he feels himself falling through the air, seeing the portal above him shut close unceremoniously, revealing a pale purple sky with no clouds and—
"OOF!" He cries out as he suddenly lands onto his back, knocking the wind out of him as his eyes close, hearing Rivet cry out similarly before thudding next to him.
He doesn't pay it much mind, however, being too preoccupied with how hard his own landing felt, making him groan while rolling over onto his stomach, feeling only slightly better than having almost all of his weight perched upon a lump on his back.
"Sometimes I wonder why I have you strapped onto my back, Clank." He mutters, slowly picking himself up from the daze. "You're going to break my spine one of these days, I just know it."
"Are you okay, Ratchet?" Clank asks with worry, ignoring his comment while looking over his shoulder, Ratchet brushing the dust off his clothes.
"Yeah, I've had worse falls, don't worry, pal." He says, finally standing up while rubbing his head, although taking pause as he looks all around them. "But, uh… Where did we fall into?"
He and Clank take an inventory of their surroundings, noting nothing except for strange, floating landmasses populated with what appeared to be flora reminiscent of Savali, alongside random bits of scrap, and all of it amidst a pale purple void that stretched beyond what they could see.
"I… Think we are in a pocket dimension." Clank surmises. "It looks similar to the one that we battled Tachyon in."
"Wait, seriously?!" Ratchet replies with worry. "How are we supposed to get out of here without a Dimensionator?! And—Wait, speaking of, the Emperor has it! And he took dad and Kit away to who knows where! Even if we somehow get out of here, how are we supposed to find—"
"The Assistant said they went to Zordoom Prison, Ratchet." Rivet's voice bitterly cuts through the air, making him turn to see her standing up while also brushing the dust from her front with a scowl. "It's on planet Viceron. We can find him there when we get out."
"…Oh." Ratchet mutters, staring at her with some concern, not failing to notice the sudden change in her disposition, recalling her sudden coldness to him before Nefarious threw them both into a portal.
"Do you happen to have any idea as to how we may go about that, though, Rivet?" Clank cautiously asks from Ratchet's back.
"The hell are you looking at me for?" She suddenly bites, frowning at him before she points to them. "You're the ones that are supposed to be the experts who travel dimensions and stuff! I don't have a damn clue about how to leave this place!"
"Woah, Rivet, calm down!" Ratchet says, raising his hands. "Sure, this thing isn't exactly ideal, but I'm sure we can figure out a way to—"
"Don't tell me to calm down, Ratchet!" She snaps, pointing to him with anger in her eyes. "Just what was that back there, huh?! You telling Kit to transform into that… That thing?!" She demands, throwing an arm up.
"Woah, what?! What do you mean?!" He asks, eyes widening in confusion (and, admittedly, a slight bit of fear) with angry she appeared to be.
"You heard exactly what I mean!" She shouts, not breaking eye contact.
"A-Are you talking about when she transformed into a warbot?!" He clarifies, still holding his hands up defense.
"YES, that's what I'm talking about, you idiot!" Rivet states, stomping a foot down. "Have you known that Kit was a fucking warbot this entire time?!"
"I-I… Erm…" He gulps, absolutely bewildered as to where her sudden fury was coming from, but hesitantly opening his mouth anyway. "Y-Yes?"
"AND YOU DIDN'T THINK TO TELL ME THAT?!" She yells, making Ratchet shrink back in fear. "I—YOU—JUST—!"
She lets out a frustrated cry of agitation, snapping her head around before she looks down to the ground with a snarl, quickly bending down to pick up a random rock with her prosthetic and throwing it away as hard as she could with a loud grunt, sending it into the side of a nearby floating island before little bits of it crumble off, falling into the void below.
She turns her back to Ratchet, crossing her arms with a huff, and him able to hear her breathing even from where he was standing—that being a small distance away from her, as he didn't fail to notice the sheer strength behind that throw of hers, having made a decent crater in the floating rock nearby.
He gulps, looking over his shoulder at Clank.
"Why is she so pissed?" He whispers in slight fear. "Did I mess something up?"
Clank remains silent for a few seconds before he sighs, shaking his head.
"No, not you, at least. I don't think so." He replies somberly.
"Then why is she yelling at me all of a sudden?" He asks, placing a hand on his chest. "I didn't do anything!"
"And that's the problem, Ratchet!" Rivet cries out, making him snap up to attention as he sees her staring at him, that fury and pain still burning in her eyes. "You didn't think to tell me that Kit was a goddamn warbot!"
"Hey, I already told you she worked for Nefarious!" He defends himself, raising his hands again as she steps over to him.
"But not as that… That MONSTER!" She cries out, throwing an arm out.
"Wait, monster?!" Ratchet replies, brows furrowing as his intimidation makes place for slight indignation. "What do you mean monster?! Kit saved us, Rivet! She even saved me earlier today by turning into that warbot! We'd be dead without her!"
"Erm, wait, Ratchet?" Clank cautiously speaks up, sensing things were escalating for the worse, given the topic.
"Wha—Are you saying I should be THANKFUL for Kit?!" Rivet demands, staring into his eyes with a burning fury.
"I mean, in a way, yeah!" Ratchet replies, frowning slightly, wondering where this sudden rhetoric was coming from. "I get that you're iffy on robots, Rivet, but she's not a monster! That's a bit too far, don't you think?"
"Ratchet!" Clank quickly and firmly chides him, fearing what was about to happen if he doesn't—
"TOO FAR?!" Rivet yells with pure malice in her tone, suddenly poking a finger straight into his chest. "You seriously think I'M the one taking it too far for calling that goddamn abomination the sick monster she is?! After what she's DONE?!"
"Yeah, because I know Kit did messed up things in the past, but she regrets all of that, Rivet!" Ratchet counters, having taken another step back from her probing finger. "She told me how the entire point of living alone on Savali was to try and make up for all the harm she did when she worked for that dickhead!"
"Oh, boo-hoo, she feels bad about all the death and harm and absolute destruction she brought on herself! I'm sure she felt terrible just sitting around some goddamn library reading dusty-ass books all day for years!" Rivet says with a dramatic roll of her eyes before thumbing to herself, glaring at Ratchet.
"But while she was meditating and shit with monks, I was sitting back home without a fucking ARM!" She cries out, holding up her prosthetic, not breaking eye contact with Ratchet.
Ratchet opens his mouth to voice a protest against Rivet's treatment of Kit, but her last statement makes him take pause, wondering why she was bringing that up right now.
But it only takes a few moments as the pieces fall into place, making his eyes slowly widen as it all clicks.
Rivet suddenly hates Kit with a passion after seeing her in her warbot form.
Kit said her most traumatic memory was stopping some rebel from infiltrating Nefarious Tower.
Rivet accused Kit of having it easy while she instead lost an arm.
That means…
Ratchet gulps, suddenly feeling very ashamed of his words as he fearfully looks back to Rivet, almost too frightful to confirm it with the intense pain and fury in her eyes.
"D-Did… Did Kit…"
"YES," She growls through gritted teeth, still holding up her prosthetic. "KIT WAS THE ONE WHO TOOK MY ARM, RATCHET."
Silence falls onto the group as they stand there, Ratchet's mouth hung slightly agape as Rivet continues glaring at him, breathing heavily through her nose while Clank merely remains quiet on his back, sensing that nothing at all was the correct thing to say.
"…Oh." Ratchet mutters quietly, nervously glancing away, feeling a mixture of shock, guilt, and embarrassment at the declaration, causing him to start nervously rubbing his arm.
"Yeah." Rivet states bitterly, crossing her arms. "Oh."
"I'm… I'm sorry." He adds. "For… Yelling at you, and for the… Erm…" He awkwardly says, motioning to her arm.
"Ratchet." Clank quietly says from his back.
Rivet doesn't respond, instead huffing as she turns around, taking a few steps away, the duo still able to hear her breathing.
Neither of them dared to say anything, honestly unsure how to move forward with a revelation such as that, but luckily (or unluckily), Rivet is the one to break the silence for them.
"Why didn't you tell me about her, Ratchet?" She asks, her tone still holding a bite to it, but not nearly as much as it did just minutes prior.
"I… Didn't think it was that relevant, honestly." Ratchet replies with a shrug, right before preemptively holding up his hands in defense. "I know! I know, considering your… History with each other now, that it was totally relevant, but… I didn't think that you were that rebel that she told me about. And considering that you were still iffy on her being a robot in general, let alone one of Nefarious'—"
"Wait, she what?" Rivet interrupts, suddenly turning around, furrowing her brows while staring at him. "She told you about what she did to me?"
"Erm… Yeah. A bit after we first met, actually." Ratchet confirms with a nod, not failing to notice that while there was still present anger in her tone at that last statement, there was also a certain… Softness to it. It could've just been from the sheer surprise, but…
"You know how I said we snuck into Nefarious Tower before we met you? Well, we almost didn't get away with him ambushing and capturing us in his hangar." He continues as Rivet aptly listens. "But, Kit saved us. She saved me when she turned into her warbot form like that, taking them all out so that we could run away and escape.
"But the thing is that she hated doing that. Hell, on the flight, she told me to drop her back off at Savali since she thought she was too dangerous, and told me how she used to be a warbot for the Emperor to do all of these… Honestly, really messed up things." He adds with a shrug.
"Yeah, no shit." Rivet growls with a frown.
"But!" He pipes up, raising both fingers. "Then she told me how she defected from the Empire. She told me about how there was one night on patrol around Nefarious Tower, she saw a rebel trying to sneak in before she had to… Erm…"
He awkwardly clears his throat, seeing Rivet tighten her grip in her crossed arms while her scowl grows deeper, immediately making him decide maybe to expunge certain details about what Kit told him if he wanted to live.
"Well… After she did… That, she said she was going to finish the job, but… Then she just saw the rebel's eyes—Your eyes." He says, gesturing over to her. "And she said it just… Woke her up to how much of a monster she was, like you said. And how much she hated it. She hated it so much in fact that after she let you get away—telling me she hoped that you survived, by the way—She immediately ditched the Empire, and exiling herself to an uninhabited planet to get away from everyone to keep from hurting them again."
Rivet doesn't move or respond, but Ratchet notices her scowl soften just the smallest bit as she mulled over his words. So, feeling assured that he wasn't apt to end up with bodily harm in doing so, he takes a cautious step forward towards her—just a small one.
"She's not a monster anymore, Rivet. She was one, like you're accusing her. Hell, she admitted she was a monster, and worse things, too." He says softly, no longer feeling like he was on the defensive anymore. "Look, I'm sure you hate her. I would, too, if she did what she did to you, but I guarantee she hates herself just as much, if not more. The important thing is that she's changed now, and is a better person than the Kit you saw that night."
Rivet glances away as she digests his words, giving Ratchet some hope that maybe he was getting to her and she was believing him, but it only lasts a moment before she snaps back up to him with a scowl, pointing at him.
"'Better person'? Okay, I can get you not telling me about what she is, but her?" She asks, gesturing out before thumbing to herself. "She made a promise to me to be completely honest, Ratchet! And she DIDN'T! And don't give me that bullshit that she didn't know, because you saw she recognized and knew me back there! She isn't—"
"You are right, she did know, Rivet." Clank speaks up, making her quiet as both she and Ratchet look to him in surprise as he continues talking from Ratchet's back. "And that is exactly why she did not tell you. She told me herself."
"I… She told YOU, too?! But not me?! Her partner—no, ex-partner?!" Rivet demands.
"Yes. And do you know why, Rivet?" He responds calmly.
"Oh, what, now you're going to tell me it's because she 'felt bad' and she wanted validation? That she isn't monster to keep from—"
"No." He cuts her off with a shake of his head. "Kit told me because she wanted to tell you, Rivet. She did not neglect that promise she made to you—Every part of her wanted her to tell the truth."
Rivet blinks, admittedly taken aback by his declaration, but she puts on a frown once more while crossing her arms, facing him.
"Then why didn't she, huh? She told me she was a goddamn accountant for the Emperor! Not a warbot that blew up entire cities and took my arm!" She argues, holding up her prosthetic.
"Rivet, come on, why would she tell the truth just like that?" Ratchet butts in, holding up a hand. "She was scared to tell you because she knew you'd act like this!"
"Oh, I'm sorry, am I not allowed to feel like I got backstabbed and betrayed after I find out that all this time, I was carrying the robot that shot my arm off on my back?!" She cries out, thumbing behind her.
"No, you are, and that's why she was so scared!" Ratchet says, crossing his arms. "Would you still have wanted to be partners with her if she just went 'Hey, Rivet, by the way, I was a warbot!'"
"No!"
"And that is exactly why she came to me for advice, Rivet." Clank adds. "Because she knew that if she was not mindful with going about it, she would lose you. She would lose her partner—her friend—and that terrified her."
"Well… Good! She should be scared, because I don't want anything to do with her!" Rivet declares, turning her back to them.
However, neither of them failed to notice the slightest hesitation as she said that, the both of them exchanging a silent glance with each other, giving them the slightest bit of hope for Kit and Rivet's continued friendship.
"Rivet… Are you scared of Kit?" Clank asks as they look back at her.
She scoffs. "What, are you saying I shouldn't be scared of the monster who ripped my arm off?!" She bites back over her shoulder.
"Perhaps." He answers coolly. "If it was the Kit who worked for Nefarious as his personal weapon, then you have every right to be terrified of her. But the Kit that you know now—That we know now—is clearly a different person."
"Yeah!" Ratchet adds, picking up on Clank's line of reasoning. "I mean, did she do… That to you? Obviously. But think about what else she's done for you and me. How many times today has she done her best to help us? To help me break into and escape Nefarious Tower? To help find my dad? To help you?"
"She… Hasn't helped me." Rivet replies bitterly, but after a moment of hesitance as she turns her head away. "I've been doing just fine on my own, like always."
"Are you sure, though, Rivet? Are you sure there isn't a single moment today where Kit hasn't helped you? Demonstrated that she's a good partner? A good friend? Be honest." Ratchet states, doubling down.
Rivet doesn't respond, clearly wanting to voice a protest, but seemingly unable to, as they can see her stiff posture relax ever so slightly.
"And you're probably thinking that she can't be trusted, and that she must surely be scheming to backstab you or something, but how many times today has she had every opportunity to do that, but didn't? All because she has changed?" He continues.
Once again, no response, only the grip of her hands tightening as she clutches onto her arms.
"And you say that Kit's a terrible person and a terrible friend for not telling you, but come on, just the fact that she was scared of telling you in the first place shows how much she cares about you! That means that she was scared of losing you, Rivet, and that she really wants to be your friend! She wasn't being selfish—she was thinking of your feelings too, because she knew full-well that you'd take it just as hard as she did." Ratchet finishes. "Kit may have done some horrible things, but that doesn't make her a horrible person now, so I think that you should maybe cut her some slack and—"
"Just—SHUT UP, okay?!" Rivet suddenly shouts, whipping around to scowl at Ratchet, making him instantly freeze up in surprise.
She then starts walking over to him, closing the gap between them, and wearing a look of agitation as she stands before him.
"Look. Bottom line is that Kit is the robot who shot my arm off all those years ago, and I'm pissed that she didn't tell me the truth as her friend—even if she has been a good partner to me so far." She states coldly, staring into Ratchet's eyes before pointing at him.
"But most importantly, at the end of the day, you're not the one who has to lug around a hunk of metal that hangs off your shoulder every day just to feel like a normal person anymore, and you're not the one she's backstabbed by lying to you this entire time you've known her. So, I don't care what you have to say, because you have no right to tell me how I should feel about any of this. Got it?"
Ratchet defensively raises his hands, partially intimidated yet again by that look in her eye, but also partially embarrassed, knowing that he might've been stepping a bit out of line near the end of his tangent there.
He gives a small sigh, nodding.
"Alright. Yeah, you're right." He concedes, frowning slightly. "Sorry."
"Good." Rivet says firmly, lowering her arm before turning around, looking at the pocket dimension surrounding him. "And even if I wanted to talk about her for any longer, we can't, because we have more important things to do right now. That son of a bitch Emperor stole your Dimensionator thing, your dad's been kidnapped, and we still have to find a way to get the hell out of… Whatever this place is." She says, waving an arm around to the rocky islands hovering in the purple void surrounding them.
"…Right. Yeah." Ratchet mutters, the reality of the situation starting to sink in now that she mentions it, having been too preoccupied with Kit's situation.
But after taking a few moments to stare at the void, he looks back at Clank over his shoulder, still silently hanging off his back.
"You're probably the one with the most interdimensional experience between the three of us, pal. Any ideas?"
"You do know that technically, you should be the one with more experience, given how you are to be a Keeper?" Clank replies.
"Clank, now is not the time to be a smartass." Ratchet says flatly. "Like, how about that pocket dimension we landed in while fighting Tachyon? How'd we get out of that one?"
"By having the Dimensionator." He says with a sigh.
"…Which we don't have, right." Ratchet mutters with a frown, placing a hand on his chin in thought. "I don't know, do you happen to know if Mags ranted about pocket dimensions sometime? And maybe about how to get out of them?"
"No, I do not." Clank says, shaking his head.
"Great." Ratchet says with a slump, sighing.
"So… What? Are we just stuck here, then?" Rivet asks, crossing her arms while raising an eyebrow. "Not a single idea from the duo who've travelled across at least three dimensions?"
"I mean, unless this place happens to have a spare Dimensionator lying around, no." Ratchet replies with a shrug, shaking his head.
"Although… Maybe there is Phase Quartz? Or if we are lucky, some shard of the Surinox Comet if it flew through this pocket dimension?" Clank suggests. "It is how the Dimensionator is powered, after all, and if we obtain either material, we should be able to at least come up with something."
"I barely understood that, so that must mean it's a good plan." Ratchet says, placing his hands on his hips.
"It is an elementary concept that is the basis of Mags' and your father's entire field of study, Ratchet. Unbelievable." He says with a disappointed sigh, shaking his head.
"Oh, I'm sorry that I'm not as much of a nerd as any of you guys are, and I thought my job was just about making sure the Dimensionator doesn't fall—"
"Uh, guys?" Rivet suddenly asks, making them stop talking and turn to look at her pointing ahead. "What's that?"
Confused, they both follow the direction of her finger, and see… A… Tear? In the air?
Ratchet squints. "Is that…"
"A portal?" Clank finishes in astonishment.
Before any of them could say anything more, the tear suddenly rips open, making them take a step back in surprise while instinctively reaching for their weapons, wary of if this was just Nefarious coming back to personally finish the job to make sure—
"Ah, Ratchet, Clank, Rivet, you are all safe!" A familiar voice calls out beyond the portal. "I was greatly worried!"
"I—Wait, Gary?!" Ratchet calls out in surprise, recognizing the pink, headdress adorned Snivelakian looking back at them, with a number of monks around him.
"Wait, who?" Rivet asks in confusion.
"All of you, hurry through, quick! I'm not sure how much longer my brothers and sisters can hold the portal open!" Gary says, waving his arms to beckon them over.
Both Ratchet and Rivet exchange a quick, confused glance at each other over this unexpected development, but neither of them took time to question it as they oblige his request, running to the portal and jumping through.
They hear the portal snap closed behind them, and a soft breeze blowing on them as they find themselves back on Savali, and upon further observation, appearing to be on a cliff overlooking Monktown and the Archives down in the badlands below.
"Phew! I was worried we wouldn't be able to find you three! But I just knew I sensed your presence in that pocket dimension!" Gary says gladly, tucking his worn book under his arm while walking up to greet them, with the rest of the monks around them relaxing with sighs of relief.
"You can open interdimensional portals?!" Ratchet cries out, throwing his hands over to him. "Did you guys build your own Dimensionator, too?"
"Oh, erm… No. It is but merely a facet of knowledge we had unlocked in our extensive studies of the universe and beyond, Brother Ratchet." Gary explains with a soft smile.
"Wha—First the weird 'I can see the future' thing when we first met you, and now you can just… Open portals without a Dimensionator?!" Ratchet says with bewilderment.
"Well, actually, I can't. It takes a great amount of effort through many of our brothers and sisters channeling their combined auras into a single point through the multiverse. It is very taxing, and we cannot hold them open for very long, hence my rush to get you three through!" He corrects them, raising a finger while gesturing to the tired Monks around him.
"That still seems like an extraordinarily impossible feat." Clank says from Ratchet's back with some skepticism.
"I barely even know what's happening right now, but even I'm calling BS on that." Rivet adds, raising an eyebrow.
"Well… I will admit it was just one of many secrets passed down to me from my father as he's taking his first-ever vacation at the moment, leaving me to attend to his duties in the meantime." Gary says with a chuckle, patting his book.
"Who even is your dad if he can do that, then?!" Ratchet asks, crossing his arms.
"Oh, well… You two know him, actually! I believe he said that you two know him best as… 'The Plumber'?" He asks uncertainly, glancing between them.
While Rivet tilts her head in confusion, finding that statement meaningless, both Ratchet and Clank instead widen their eyes, and slowly nod their heads with realization.
"…Oh. That… Explains a lot." Ratchet mutters, placing a hand on his chin. "I didn't even know he even had a kid…"
"Indeed…" Clank agrees in a distant tone.
"Who?" Rivet asks.
"Long story." They both answer in unison.
"Yes, well, my family aside, we were able to see everything transpire at the Archives while we were all up here for our daily yoga session, although we are sorry we could not warn you all. We did not even notice anything was amiss until the fighting had already started." Gary says apologetically. "Although I was extremely surprised to see KT-7461 use her warbot form in spite of her hatred for it, I am extremely thankful that her efforts allowed you all to come out of the situation unscathed!"
Ratchet could hear Rivet huff a deep, angered breath at his comment, and not wanting a repeat of what had happened in the pocket dimension, he rushes to quickly change the topic, raising a hand.
"Well, not all of us came out of it unscathed, and honestly, the situation sucks right now." He says bluntly. "Nefarious got the Dimensionator, he threw us into a pocket dimension, and he portaled Kit and my dad to… Where'd you say?" He asks, looking back at Rivet.
"Zordoom Prison." She simply replies, frowning a bit at the mention of Kit.
"Yeah, that!" Ratchet says.
"Oh no! That is quite the predicament!" Gary agrees, placing a hand over his mouth before quickly opening his book, rifling through the pages. "Oh dear, and I am not sure I have foreseen this exact line of events, either…"
"Well, I'm not sure what kind of help your book would be right now, anyway, because we have to stop this bastard now." Ratchet states, pointing down. "And we start by saving my dad and Kit from his prison before he hurts either of them."
"And as for stopping Nefarious afterwards?" Clank asks.
"We'll play it by ear." He replies. "And besides, I'm sure Rivet has an idea or two, right? You know him and his weaknesses better than us."
"Best idea I got is just brute force, it's the only thing that's worked so far." She replies with some disappointment, right before an idea flashes through her mind, prompting her to place a hand on her chin. "Wait… He said that he was going to 'clean up the galaxy' before he starts messing with the multiverse, too… Right?"
"Erm… Yeah?" Ratchet asks, furrowing his brows. "What's that got to do with us, though? Isn't that what we're trying to stop right now?"
"That second part, yeah, but the first… If he's cleaning up the galaxy, that means he's probably going around to send everyone to Zordoom with the Dimensionator." Rivet explains, raising a finger. "In other words, all of his enemies are going to be packed into there—where we're about to go."
Ratchet's eyes widen as it dawns on him as well, a smile spreading across his face while he nods in agreement.
"So, we go to Zordoom, and free everyone while we're there for my dad! And then that way, we'll have a whole army to take him down!" He finishes, slamming a fist into his palm for emphasis.
"Exactly." Rivet says with a satisfied nod, placing her hands on her hips. "And luckily, I've already had a stint in that place before I broke out, so I know a thing or two about how they operate."
"Sounds like a plan!" He says with a determined smile.
"Indeed, I believe we just might stand a chance with those odds." Clank agrees with a nod of his own.
"And I wish you all the utmost success in your mission, and hope that you make it out safely!" Gary adds with a smile as well. "Would you like the aid of my brothers and sisters to assist you, as well? I admit I still feel terrible about being unable to warn you of the Emperor's sudden arrival to the Archives."
"Erm, no offense, Gary, but how are you going to aid us?" Ratchet questions, scratching the back of his head. "You guys are pacifists; you can't exactly help fight."
"You are right; we cannot fight. But, we can help you get there!" He clarifies, raising a finger. "We shall open a portal to Zordoom Prison so that you may get there posthaste and waste no time in stopping the Emperor from endangering the multiverse! Right, everyone?" He asks, turning away from the trio to look over the group of monks.
And right on queue, all of the monks around them raise their hands while enthusiastically affirming his offer, voicing their own support on their mission to preserve the balance of the universe, and more than happy to aid that cause.
And as the trio of heroes observe their eagerness with slight surprise—but nowhere near ungrateful for it—Gary returns his gaze back to them with a wide smile, raising his eyebrow.
"So, shall you accept our help?" He asks.
"Yeah. Let's do this." Rivet states with a nod, wearing a look of fierce determination as she cracks the knuckles of her natural hand.
"Yeah, thanks a lot Gary. We owe you one." Ratchet says with a smile, Clank nodding along from his back.
"Oh, not at all! If anything, everyone owes you a favor with how much good you've done for the universe and beyond, Ratchet and Clank. It is our honor." He humbly explains, placing a hand on his chest. "But with that said, we shall conjure a portal for you momentarily. Like I said, we cannot hold it open for long, so be quick about it!"
With a nod, the two Lombaxes step back as Gary turns back to the rest of the Monks, instructing them to prepare another portal for Zordoom Prison, guiding them through the process with a series of instructions and stretches that flew over the trio's heads.
But even if they did, they wouldn't have paid any attention to it, anyway, as they instead stood next to each other, mentally preparing for their imminent battle to save Kaden, the prisoners, and everyone else from Nefarious, knowing that it was going to be a tough fight no matter how you cut it.
And as Gary declares they're almost ready to open the portal, Ratchet glances over to look at Rivet, and is surprised to see a certain… Fire in her eyes as she stared straight ahead with a stiff look, her fists clenched at her sides as she took deep breaths.
He could tell they weren't breaths of agitation or fear, but rather, deep breaths to focus, prepare for the struggle before them, and more than that… The likely end of a tyranny she's fought against her entire life.
For some reason, even though he knew the circumstances were entirely strange, seeing her like this made something fuzzy flutter within him, seeing such confidence and determination to save everyone written plainly across her whole body, very reminiscent of his own drive to risk his life for the greater good of others as he himself constantly does.
And for the hundredth time today, he pondered just why she was so insistent about not seeing herself as the hero she so clearly was.
"Alright, it should open any second now!" Gary's voice cuts through his thoughts, making him shake his head as he looks over his shoulder to give a thumbs-up before turning back to Rivet, now seeing her look back at him as well, still holding that steely expression.
"Let's go save your dad." She tells him with a small nod as a tear in the air begins to flicker open in front of them.
Ratchet smiles with a nod of his own, and he extends a fist out towards her, the portal now beginning to open fully.
"Yeah. Him and Kit." He says optimistically.
However, Rivet makes zero attempt to return the fist bump, instead just glancing down to his fist, then back up to Ratchet's face with a ghost of a frown on her lips before turning ahead with a huff to run through the portal in front of them.
Ratchet's smile fades as he awkwardly lowers his fist, watching her run past him with a cold silence, prompting him to glance to Clank over his shoulder.
"Do you really think she's gonna forgive Kit?" He worriedly asks.
"I do not know." Clank answers somberly with a shake of his head. "But I just know that it is no longer in our place to convince her one way or the other. It is up to her, now."
Ratchet sighs, turning back ahead with a frown.
"Yeah, that's what I thought." He mutters sadly before he too runs ahead to follow Rivet into the gloomy crimson of Zordoom Prison, hearing the portal quietly shut behind him through the lightning thundering around them.
"GODDAMMIT!" Kaden cries out, fruitlessly pounding his fist against the thick, bulletproof glass door to his 'VIP' cell, according to the guard who threw him in here the minute he fell through the portal. "I'm kidnapped for the third time today, and not only that, but some psycho's out there with the Dimensionator! I'm a goddamned Keeper, and I just let that happen! Just what the hell is wrong with me?! I had one job and I FAILED! Just—ARGH!"
He gives the glass one last pound before turning to lean against it, huffing with anger and guilt while planting his face in his hands, too many horrible thoughts flashing through his mind at his predicament he now found himself in, feeling all too familiar to the Exodus.
Out there was a genocidal Emperor hellbent on domination with arguably the most powerful device in the multiverse in his grasp, the one thing that Kaden was supposed to prevent from happening at all, and yet, here he was, locked inside of said Emperor's prison.
And not only that, but he has no idea what happened to Ratchet, Clank, or Rivet after he fell through the portal. Did the Emperor decide to portal them to this place, too? To somewhere else? Did he kill them?!
He quickly shakes his head, not willing to even stomach merely entertaining that idea. It was one thing to get sloppy—extremely sloppy—and let the Dimensionator fall into the wrong hands. He could always somehow find a way to get out of here and rip it out of the bastard's claws himself, and in a worst-case scenario, there'd be no way in hell Nefarious would be able to stand up to the newly bolstered defenses of the Praetorian Guard if he was dumb enough to try invading Fastoon.
But if he did anything to Ratchet… Kaden couldn't just simply get another son.
This whole situation put a sour taste in his mouth, feeling all too familiar to the last time the universe ripped away everything from him. His home, his best friend, his wife…
His son…
He clenches his fist, shaking his head again, getting rid of those memories.
He couldn't—no, wouldn't lose him again. He just got him back in his arms after twenty long years of pain and misery, and he'll be damned if he'll experience that pain again for the rest of his life. He still had a promise to fulfill for Marie, and if he ever broke that promise… How could he ever live with himself?
He scowls, letting out a frustrated huff as he does so.
No. Ratchet was fine. He had to be. Kaden's only known him for a month, but after all he's seen of him, and knowing that if his son could stand up to the Cragmite that nearly killed his father and won, then the sure as hell could get through some psycho robot. All he had to do was wait for him to come charging in like he always has, because he was fine. Any other possibility contrary to that was null and void, period, because he was fine. He HAD to be.
But until Kaden saw him blasting away entire armies of Troopers for himself, he knew he had to focus on the immediate problem of getting the hell out of this place.
He turns back around to inspect the door, once again giving a light-hearted pound with his fist, already knowing full-well it was going to be impossible to just break open this door with his bare fists, try as he might. It's not like it even had a scratch after all his pounding and kicking in his frustration while getting thrown in here, after all.
"Please tell me they were dumb enough to put some kind of access panel in here that we can rewire…" He mutters, turning away to look over the rest of the cell.
"There is not." A quiet, miserable voice responds from the corner, curled in a ball as she leaned against the wall, little knees hugged to her chest. "These VIP cells are engineered to be the most secure cells in the galaxy. The only way to get out is if someone outside lets us."
Kaden pauses, looking over to Kit, and becoming a bit surprised to see just how reserved and defeated she appeared to be at this moment, when he had just seen her single-handedly take out a whole battalion of Juggernauts in mere minutes as a living war machine.
However, thinking about that battle makes an idea pop into his head, bringing a small, hopeful smile to his face.
"Yeah, this door and these walls look pretty tough, but I don't think they're tough enough to withstand you going warbot-mode and breaking us out—"
"No." Kit firmly shuts him down, picking her gaze up off the ground to stare right into his eyes.
Kaden's instantly silenced by how unexpectedly stern her reply was, and by the looks of it, so was she, as her optics widen a bit before she lowers them to the ground once more, hugging her knees tighter to herself.
"I mean… No." She says softly. "Even if I wanted to, they installed an inhibiting program into my software when they captured us to prevent me from transforming. I am sorry."
She falls into a melancholic silence, but Kaden instead continues to stare at her—not with surprise, but instead, small confusion, not failing to notice the certain way she worded her protest.
"'Even if you wanted to?'" He repeats curiously. "Are you saying that… You wouldn't turn into your warbot form right now, even if you could?"
"Yes." Kit replies simply, not making an effort to look up.
"Why not?" He asks, furrowing his brows. "I mean, you were kicking ass out there! If it wasn't for you, we'd be maimed or even dead right now!"
"No, you are wrong." She replies, shaking her head. "I might have saved us now, yes, but I… I nearly killed one of us because of what I did. One of us has been maimed. If it was not for me… Her life would be so much better than it is now." She mutters quietly, her voice filled with remorse. "But I ruined it."
Kaden becomes bewildered by her reasoning and self-flagellation, but it suddenly clicks together at that little word… 'Her'. Especially considering that 'her' suffered from a glaring injury that was impossible to overlook.
He grows quiet, his confusion fading instead to surprise and sympathy as he takes a small step away from the cell's door.
"…You're the one who took Rivet's arm, is what you're saying, isn't it?" He asks carefully. "I know Ratchet told me you used to work for this Emperor, but…"
Kit doesn't move nor respond for a few moments, but eventually gives an almost invisible nod of her head in affirmative.
Kaden lets out a breath at the revelation, crossing his arms while glancing away.
"That explains why Rivet was shouting near the end there…" He quietly mutters to himself.
"She hates me." Kit speaks up miserably, hanging her head. "She utterly loathes me. I thought that we could be partners and friends… We had so much in common, and we were having a great time, but… She will never forgive me after what I have done to her."
"I… Woah, hey, I wouldn't say that, Kit." Kaden says, looking back to her with concern. "I could see that you guys were getting along pretty well before this asshole ruined everything back on Savali, and Ratchet told me and Clank a lot about how you two bonded so quickly, too. I don't think it's the kind of friendship that she'll just throw away like you're saying."
"And why not?" She asks, glancing back up to him, making Kaden wonder how an otherwise expressionless robot face could display such sheer misery. "I took her arm, Kaden! She nearly died that night! I put her on death's door, and it was all because of me! It was a miracle that she lived! I ruined her life, and even if she told me she thought of me as a friend and partner, nothing can ever change that."
She gives a deep, sorrowful sigh, and Kaden just knew that if she was capable, she would be shedding tears as she stared at the ground between her legs.
"There are some acts that are beyond forgiveness… And this is one of them." Kit mutters. "And if I cannot even forgive myself… Then it is idiotic to fathom that Rivet would forgive me."
A deep silence befalls the two of them as she finishes, still curled up in the corner of the cell, of which Kaden distantly noticed stopped moving about the rail it was affixed to, instead just dangling over a misty chasm, likely as an extra security measure.
But he doesn't pay much attention to it, despite the pressing situation they were in right now, believing Kit that this cell was nigh impenetrable from where they were now. Instead, he couldn't help but feel terrible for this lovely little robot that his son had quickly grown to call a friend and partner, saving his life at least twice already today. Kaden has hardly known Kit at all personally for himself, but even he had to admit he took a liking to her, and to see her so utterly depressed about her predicament with Rivet.
But more than that… Her plight had struck him very close to home, sounding very reminiscent to a situation he himself had to endure, and unfortunately… Didn't end as well as he wanted it to.
And, considering that they were likely going to be stuck in here until something happens…
Kaden takes a deep breath, and slowly walks over to Kit, prompting her to raise her head slightly as he takes a seat against the wall next to her, resting his arms on his knees in front of him, staring ahead.
"I had a friend once. A long time ago." Kaden begins softly.
Kit now turns her head fully to him with some confusion, wondering where this was coming from, but listening aptly nonetheless as she watches a warm smile cross his lips with a faraway look.
"Alister was his name. We met as classmates while we were kids, second or third year. His family was all noble and pretty well-known, coming from a long line of respected generals, and there's a place on Fastoon just named after them. And meanwhile, my family were just a few blue-collar workers; miners and laborers and stuff like that. But even then… We just clicked together. We hung out all the time in school, and out of school, we loved sleeping over at each other's houses, all of those things kids do." He explains with a smile.
"Some of the best memories I have in my life were spent with him. Learning how to hoverboot together, stealing my dad's trillium harvester as a teen so I could sneak out to fight in the Agorians' tournament, pranking his dad by freezing his ship to the ground with my CryoMine Glove prototype, we were partners in crime." He says blissfully. "He was also my wingman when it came to helping me start to date my wife, too, and he became the best man at our wedding. He was the first one I told when Marie said she was pregnant with Ratchet, and he told me how he was excited to be an uncle." He states with a soft chuckle.
"And not only that, but we also enlisted in the Praetorians together. He mostly did it because nearly everyone in his family already did, but I did it for the same reason he ultimately wanted to; We wanted to do our part in protecting Fastoon. To do what was best for the Lombaxes. For the galaxy." He continues, a certain pride filling his tone now.
"It was hell going through training and selection, obviously, but we never let the other give up. We did our damndest to see each other through, even competing a little bit, and it really paid off when we rose through the ranks to become fully-fledged Generals. The youngest in Praetorian history, too. All because we stuck together."
He takes a small pause, still wearing a smile on his face as he recalls those fond memories, and Kit curiously inspects him for a few moments, still wondering where this was going. But even then, she couldn't help but be somewhat interested in his impromptu tale.
"It sounds like you and this… 'Alister' were very good friends." She comments.
Kaden gives a small laugh in response.
"That's the understatement of the century." He confirms with a nod, looking over to give her a smile. "Honestly, we felt more like brothers. There's no way in hell I'd be where I am now without him. He's the reason I got into the Praetorians, which got my foot in the door to be a Keeper, and if he hadn't constantly teased me and kicked my ass, I never would've had the guts to ask Marie out. If it wasn't for him, I'm not sure Ratchet would even exist. Well, him and a little bit of booze and celebration, but, semantics." He says a little amusedly with a chuckle, waving his hand.
While that last tidbit was mildly curious, Kit didn't fail to notice a seemingly small but crucial detail of his story that he had to address. A detail that seemed to insinuate something… Awful.
"Erm… I am sorry if I am interrupting you, but… I cannot help but notice you keep referring to him in the past tense." She says a little anxiously, still hugging onto her knees. "Did… Something happen?"
Kaden's smile slowly fades as he turns his head, staring forward once again, and not saying until he gives a long sigh, hanging his head slightly with a small nod.
"Yeah. Something happened, alright." He states somberly before glancing over to her. "…Has Ratchet happened to tell you about the Cragmite named Tachyon, by chance?"
"Oh, um… Yes, he has." Kit replies, right before her optics widen in realization. "Oh no… Did… Did Alister… Fall to him?" She asks worriedly, full of sympathy.
A moment of tense silence as Kaden picks his head up, staring straight ahead with a small frown.
"…No." He mutters quietly.
Kit tilts her head in bewilderment, not expecting such an answer.
"Then… What exactly—"
"Alister was the one who helped make Tachyon's genocide happen." He answers bluntly.
Kit simply freezes, staring at him, dumbfounded by his response before Kaden gives another deep, morose sigh.
"I told him it was a stupid idea to give that cockroach our technology and our secrets. That after we exterminated the rest of his species in the Great War, that Tachyon was going to return the favor to the Lombaxes, and that he was going to do it by lying to us that he wanted to make the galaxy a safer place." He says bitterly. "But the thing about Alister was that he was a stubborn bastard, even more so than me. Once he got his mind on something, it was damn near impossible to change it. And as someone who dedicated his life to the very goal that Cragmite promised… In helping Lombaxes and Polaris as a whole… Alister bought into his lies. Hook. Line. And sinker." He iterates slowly and coldly.
Kit could see a scowl beginning to deepen on his lips as he picks his head up to stare ahead, with an unsettling feeling lying behind his eyes as he did so, filled with a nearly unspeakable pain, anger, and sadness behind it. If she was being honest, it was almost too scary to look at, as Kit couldn't help but think about how Rivet looked at her with those same eyes when she learned the truth.
But even then, she couldn't look away as Kaden continued to speak.
"When Tachyon attacked, it was just… An apocalypse. In every single sense of the word." He says, his voice cold. "I just remember all the explosions, all the fire, all the screams… All the bodies. Bodies of innocent men, women, and children cut down by his army. It was just… Horrible. It's been twenty whole years, and I still have nightmares about that day. The things I saw. Heard. Smelled… Stars, that smell of death from those bodies… And it was all because Alister decided to trust him.
"And even after all of that, it wasn't even the worst part of it." He continues, Kit becoming enraptured by his story with wide optics, giving her full attention to him. "We evacuated everyone into a new dimension to escape the chaos. The Exodus. But after everyone went through, I realized that I didn't see Marie or Ratchet in the crowd, so I ran home as fast as I could. And when I finally got there and went inside, looking for them, I… I…"
His breath becomes a little shaky, a thin film glistening in his eyes as he drops his gaze down, his fists clenching as he takes a breath.
"I saw Marie dying. Trapped under a piece of rubble, with Ratchet in her arms." He whispers. "I tried everything I could to lift it, to save her… But I couldn't. She stopped me, and just put her hand on my face, telling me that everything was alright as long as he was safe." Kaden says unconsciously placing his hand on , Kit stunned into a silence, her body now fully turned to him.
"I had to sit there and watch—feel the love of my life die in my arms, tasting her blood in my mouth after one last kiss, and holding my crying child, who no longer had a mother to watch him grow up." He says, using a hand to begin wiping at the tears building up in his eyes. "And it was all because Alister gave that goddamned Cragmite the tools he needed to commit his genocide. He was exiled from ever stepping foot in the new dimension with us for what he did. And when I saw him as I was walking out of my destroyed home, leaving the body of my wife behind, I… I just… I just beat the hell out of him." He growls, grinding a fist into his palm.
"I yelled at him that it was all his fault she died, that everyone else died, that he was the one who nearly ended his species, and that he was the reason why our planet fell. And as I was beating him, I admit I was this tempted to just kill him right then and there with how furious and miserable I felt at that moment, having everything in my life taken from me." He states, pinching his thumb and finger together in front of him. "But… Instead, I just left him to wallow in his agony. Left him to cry on the ground as I took Ratchet with me to leave the planet with the broken Dimensionator. And that was the last time I ever saw him again."
Kaden takes another deep breath to recollect himself, wiping at his tears once more as Kit patiently waits for him to continue, utterly shocked by this tragic and traumatic ordeal he had to endure, wondering how someone as cheerful and pleasant to be around such as him could experience… This.
"Everything else after that, though… Ratchet probably told you already, too." He continues, his voice still laced with sadness, but not nearly as much as it was just a few moments ago. "I had to leave him in another galaxy for this safety to grow up all alone, without his parents, or even his species. I hid the Dimensionator to keep Tachyon from ever finding it. Then, I fought that little bug all by myself to try and avenge my species. My wife. But I lost. If Mags and Julie hadn't scrounged up a rudimentary Dimensionator to save me at the last minute, I'd be dead right now. But I may as well have been, having to live the next twenty years of my life without my wife, my son, or my best friend. I lost… Everything."
He closes his eyes, pinching his nose while hanging his head, falling into a melancholic silence as Kit simply looks at him, hardly able to fathom just how terrible Kaden's life was during that time… After everything he experienced. In all honesty, the fact he was able to prevail over all of it was awe-inspiring, and only served to be a testament to his strength to overcome such utter loss.
But… Even then… While she felt terrible for him, she remained confused as to why he was telling her all of this with no prompt. It hardly had anything to do with their current predicament of being imprisoned by Nefarious while he's out there doing who-knows-what with the Dimensionator in his hands.
She looks back over to him, optics tilted in slight confusion, and admittedly feeling slight hesitance, not wanting to upset him if her question seemed insensitive now.
"I'm… Sorry for all your loss, Kaden. Truly." She speaks softly. "But… With all due respect… Why are you telling me this?" She asks cautiously. "I-I mean, not to say that I do not want to listen to your troubles, or asking you to stop, but… Well… I am sensing some sort of intention with it that I have yet to grasp."
To her surprise, she hears a dry laugh huff through his nose, prompting her to silence as he lowers his hand from his nose to look back down to her sitting beside him, wearing a ghost of a smile.
"You're right. I'm telling you all of this because I thought it'd help at least a little bit in your situation with Rivet, Kit." He explains contentedly. "It reminds me of my friendship with Alister."
"I… What? How?" She asks curiously, tilting her head. "Pardon my ignorance, but, what does your situation have to do with us? How can it help?"
"Well… Because I forgave him." Kaden answers simply, giving a small shrug. "In the end… I couldn't find it in my heart to hate him any longer."
Kit blinks, her mouth falling open slightly.
"You… You forgave him? Even after all you just told me, after all that he did to you? To the Lombaxes?" She repeats in shock.
"That I did, Kit. That I did." He says softly, looking ahead once more, idly observing the crimson, cloudy sky of Viceron, with lightning constantly thundering every few seconds outside their cell. "For the same reason I didn't kill him when Marie died… Because he was my best friend. My brother."
Kit remains silent, instead observing him as he wore a content expression while he continued to speak, aptly listening to him with slight bewilderment.
"He was the main reason I lost nearly everything in my life, yeah—almost including my literal life, too. If he hadn't given Tachyon access to our technology and secrets, maybe Marie would be alive right now, and maybe my son would've grown up as 'Kipler' instead of 'Ratchet', like he should have. And maybe, Fastoon—the original Fastoon—would be just as busy and bustling as it always has been for countless millennia, and it wouldn't be a crumbling ruin that serves as a mass grave for innocent Lombaxes, like it does now.
"But… He did give Tachyon what he wanted, and this is the world we live in because of it." He says, gesturing broadly around him. "But… Even then… Despite all of it… He was my best friend.
"He was the one who laughed his ass off when I ate shit trying to learn how to fly with hoverboots. He was the one constantly told me to grow some balls and ask Marie out before he does it for me. He was the one who gave me a giant pep talk to never give up, and that I was the greatest Lombax he's known, and that if I could win the Agorian Gold at only sixteen years old, then I damn well had what it takes to become a General with him. He was the one who I always turned to whenever no one else would… And I miss him. Just as much as I do Marie. With all of my heart." Kaden says sadly, hanging his head with a frown.
"I hated him after the Exodus, I know. Hell, a tiny part of me still hates him a little bit, if I'm being honest. But as the years went on… As I felt lonelier with every passing month… An even bigger part of me missed him even more. He may have been fooled into doing something stupid, yes, but his intentions were good. Noble. And in the end, it wasn't Alister who killed Marie and everyone else. It was Tachyon.
"To blame Alister entirely for what that Cragmite did was unfair and selfish of me, and to this day, I wish I could just go back and take back all of my words and kicks and punches, just so that wouldn't be my last memory of him. To be his last memory of me. Thinking that I wanted nothing more than him to be dead, when in reality… I just want to see my best friend again."
Kaden sighs, slumping a bit as he looks back over to Kit once more, who perks up a bit while wearing a sympathetic expression upon her features, listening to him.
"When I met Ratchet, I found out that he had met Alister, who'd apparently been alive the whole time after the Exodus. And he tortured himself over his mistake and what I said to him that day." He explains somberly. "For almost twenty years, he had dedicated his life to doing everything he could to try and change what he did. To make up for what he did. To fix everything again. And… It got to a point where he literally killed himself in trying to accomplish that goal. He died a sad, tortured man, having spent half his life thinking his best friend wished him dead. And now, I'll never get a chance to tell him that I'm sorry, and that I want nothing more than for him to be here with me again."
He pauses for a moment, sadness and grief painting his features, and Kit dares not to speak—not that she really knew what to say in a situation like this, anyway.
But after a few seconds, to Kit's sudden surprise, Kaden picks his head up while reaching over, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder while staring into her optics with a firm expression.
"All of this to say, Kit, that Alister did something horrible to me. To Lombaxes as a whole. For all intents and purposes, a lot of people back home believe that he is the worst Lombax in history, and that even death is too kind a fate for his mistake." He states. "And you, Kit, also did something horrible to Rivet. Hell, she might even hold the same sentiment I did for Alister all those years ago, and that there's a chance she wants you just as dead as I did him."
Kit frowns a little at his comment, knowing that he was entirely right, and in fact, that was her entire fear to begin with. But before she could voice any protest, Kaden shakes her shoulder just a little bit while raising a finger on his other hand, still staring into her eyes.
"But… Even after all of that… I forgave Alister for what he did." He says firmly. "Because at the end of the day, it was Tachyon that was the real enemy, and he just played an unwitting accomplice to his plans. But most importantly, he was my friend. And with the bond we had, you can never find it in your heart to hate them forever.
"If you and Rivet really are good friends like you're saying, then she'll realize that, too." He says, removing his hand from her shoulder to instead point at her. "Because just like Alister, it wasn't your fault that Rivet lost her arm. It was the Emperors'; for building you, and giving you those orders. And just like Alister, I'm sure you hate yourself even more than Rivet ever will, and if she's a good friend, she'll come to realize that, too.
"I've lived a long life, Kit, and experienced more than enough for a few lifetimes at least. And one of the greatest lessons I've learned is that friends are probably the most important thing you can have, and to lose them is one of the worst pains you can ever experience." He speaks firmly. "Rivet will probably be angry at you, just like how I was with Alister. But if you two have really grown so close together in such a short time, then I don't doubt that she'll eventually forgive you as I did Alister. Because otherwise, she's putting herself in a world of pain that I've been living in myself for the last two decades… And let me tell you now that it's an absolute hell that never leaves you."
Kaden removes his hand from Kit's shoulder as she quietly stares at him in awe, watching him give a light sigh while shrugging, holding his hands out with his elbows propped on his knees in front of him.
"I know it's not much, but I just hope that makes you feel a little bit better, Kit." He says. "For what it's worth, I feel like things are going to go alright between you and Rivet, from what little I've seen of you both. You remind me a lot about Ratchet and Clank, and those two are as close as Alister and I were all those years ago. I just hope your friendship with her doesn't end like ours did." He finishes placidly.
Once again, a silence befalls the both of them within their cell, save for the lightning and odd announcement over the prison's PA system outside. Kaden simply stares off ahead through the nigh-impervious glass door to try and appreciate the sight as much as he could, while Kit meanwhile stares at the floor, digesting his words and his experience.
Kaden doesn't try to press her for a response, nor does he really expect one, either. He knew it wasn't in his place to dictate what she should feel—especially in a situation so reminiscent to Alister's like hers, not knowing what it's like to be in those shoes.
But, to his mild surprise, he hears her speak up beside him after a quiet minute.
"I… Must admit that I do not feel as optimistic about the survival of my relationship with Rivet as you do, Kaden." She says somberly, still staring at the ground. "I know that my mistake was not as severe as Alister's was, but to her… It may as well be. Just because you forgave him does not mean that she will forgive me… Especially if I still do not forgive myself for what I have done to her."
But, as she finishes, Kaden watches as she picks up her head, looking back up to him, and despite her words, he sees her wearing a small, thankful smile.
"But… I do have to say that your tale does bring me great comfort, Kaden. To know that there is a chance—however miniscule—that if you were able to forgive your friend for performing such a heinous mistake that took nearly everything from you… Then perhaps Rivet will feel the same." She says in the most optimistic tone he's heard from her yet since getting thrown in this cell. "The fact that such forgiveness is possible, even from someone else, is… Uplifting. And motivating. And as someone who sorely needs some of that right now, after everything… Thank you, Kaden. Thank you." She says gratefully, reaching over to rest a hand on his leg.
Kaden returns a warm smile, resting his hand over hers with a small nod.
"You're welcome, Kit." He replies. "And if it's any consolation, if worst comes to worst, just remember that you have friends in me and Ratchet that you can lean on, too. Just like how I had to after I lost Alister."
"It is… Reassuring to hear, yes." She says with a nod, but her smile begins to fade as she removes her hand from Kaden's leg, staring down to the ground once more. "But… I still fear for the worst, nonetheless. And that the worst will happen."
Kaden give a light sigh, returning his arm back up to his knee.
"And I can't guarantee it won't happen, Kit." He says with a shrug. "All I can suggest is that you make it clear to Rivet that you care for her, and that you regret your mistake more than anything. And then from then on, I'm afraid it's up to Rivet to think back on the time you've spent together and the friendship you've made, and if she really wants to preserve it. There's not much you or anyone else can really do on that front."
Kaden then turns his head, looking back over to Kit, and places his hand upon her shoulder once more, staring into her optics with a sympathetic look.
"But if there's anything you can and should do above all else, Kit… Forgive yourself." He says earnestly, holding a strangely sobering look in his eye as he does so. "From what Ratchet's told me of him, Alister was a broken shell of a man by the end of his life. Utterly miserable… And it only led him to his own death. All because he never forgave himself."
He shakes her shoulder a little bit.
"Don't ever become what he became, Kit." He says firmly. "Because no matter what, whether Rivet stays with or not, you have to stay with yourself in the end. If there's anything you should take away from Alister's story, it's that it's nearly impossible to go through life if the person you hate most is yourself."
Kaden then retracts his hand from her shoulder, giving her a small, hopeful smile.
"Okay?"
Once again, Kit doesn't immediately respond, instead just staring back at him with a somewhat troubled expression, those words touching her a little more than the rest of his speech.
She knew that he was right, absolutely. And judging by the tale and unfortunate fate of this Alister, Kit could sympathize with his own struggle and pain very well, indeed. And she also knew that she shouldn't go the rest of her life hating herself for what she did under Nefarious' iron fist; it was all Gary's been trying to teach her for all these years in her exile on Savali.
But… No matter what… That self-loathing was still there. And now, after having met Rivet, befriending her, and now seeing firsthand the pain she inflicted onto her most significant victim that haunted her… She only hated herself even more. The monster she was. The things that she's done that cannot be undone, forever haunting her.
Kit turns her head away, curling into a ball once again, wrapping her arms around her little legs with a heavy sigh.
"…I suppose so." She says quietly.
"Well… Alright, then." Kaden says placidly, although his brows furrow a bit at her troubled response.
However, he doesn't press the topic any further, knowing that he probably already dumped too much on her as-is, and that she's probably too emotionally fried take anymore of his preaching. All he hoped was that it did at least some good, and ideally, help prevent another tragedy like the one that befell his best friend and brother-in-arms.
So, instead, he too sighs as he stares back outside, still very much aware of the potential tragedy they were living in currently.
"I know you already said so, but are you sure there's no way out of here?" He asks idly, still sitting on the floor next to her with a frown.
"Yes." She simply replies. "These are the VIP cells, after all. They were specifically built to house the Empire's most dangerous criminals—or individuals who the Emperor has personally declared must never escape."
"What an honor." Kaden says dryly. "Only the second time I've been public enemy number one for a genocidal Emperor trying to cause disaster with the Dimensionator. At least I'm not actively dying from it right now. Yet."
Kit turns her head to him, squinting at him.
"Was the entire purpose of your talk just now to encourage me to be optimistic, Kaden?"
"Hey, I am being optimistic. I'm just saying that if Nefarious was Tachyon, you and I would've been dead a long while ago." He defends himself, placing a hand on his chest.
"And the bit about 'yet'?"
"That's called being a realist." He says pointedly.
Kit sighs, shaking her head.
But before she could open her mouth to rebuttal, they suddenly get jostled as the cell begins to move along its rail, making them perk their heads up in slight confusion.
"Oh, looks like we're getting moved again." Kaden comments curiously.
"But… Why?" Kit asks confusedly. "Where we were is where we are supposed to be, why would they want to move—"
"ALERT, ALL REMAINING GUARDS MOBILIZE TO THE MAIN OFFICE!" A panicked voice cries out on the PA system, startling them both. "A PRISON-WIDE BREAKOUT IS IN PROGRESS! I REPEAT, A PRISON-WIDE BREAKOUT IS IN—AHH!"
The voice is interrupted by loud gunfire before it cuts to static, the PA shortly silencing thereafter, leaving both Kaden and Kit just blinking, sitting there as their cell moves along to what now appears to be freedom, thanks to a lucky breakout.
But then, Kaden smiles, hanging his head and closing his eyes while breathing a huge sigh of relief, placing a hand on his chest.
"I just knew you were alright, Kip." Kaden says in a quiet, grateful tone before opening his eyes and looking up with a smirk. "Not taking him this time, universe, you cold bitch. Not this time."
Funny thing: My college got cyberattacked, thus rendering me with absolutely no internet for nearly an entire week. So, I wrote the first half of this entire chapter out of pure boredom with literally nothing else to do, and planned on that being its own chapter as it wrapped up neatly—even if I wasn't entirely satisfied with how short it was. But then, there was still no internet, so I decided to work on the next chapter and pretty much finished it out of boredom still, and found that it actually fit very nicely onto the last 'chapter' as well to give it an actually decent length, lol.
All that aside though, this was one of those chapters I've wanted to write ever since I first came up with the story, as I found the idea of Kaden making parallels between Alister and Kit to comfort was juicy, and goddamn, it's so much fun writing angst and trauma, lmao.
Also, completely random, but I also just wanted to take a quick moment to say that I sincerely and genuinely love every single comment I get on any of my stories, and that I read (and often reread) all of them, and are always a highlight of my day! All this to say that that I hope I'm not being discouraging if I don't reply to comments, as it's just entirely a 'me' problem that I absolutely suck ass at coming up with meaningful replies to comments, as I constantly worry about sounding insincere or simply not giving a good enough reply to amazing comments.
So, please don't take it personally or anything if I don't reply to you, because even if I suck at showing it, I cherish all of them with all my heart (even hate/troll comments; they're funny lmao). I'm trying to get better at it though, and I'll try to make a greater effort at replying to people who take time out of their day to bother to leave a comment on my dumb stories!
Although, I also tried promising that once before going silent like usual, so… Hopefully that won't happen again, lmao.