Ok, now this is my longest chapter. It has a decent amount of humor in it but I hope there's enough darkness, action, etc... to balance it. If not, the just look at the chapter's title, the storm clouds are gathering.

Thanks to evil Ratchet96 for all your input and of course your reviews, they have helped out a great deal! Thanks to Katratzi for the review and help, keep it coming! Thanks to airlombax for the review! And thanks to Trekker77 for the review!

Anyways, here's chapter 12!

Chapter 12, Work, Play, and…

A few days before…

Harriet Adler sat on a cold, metal chair. She was coming out of a black-out and found that she was bound; her arms tied behind the chair and her feet together. She was in pain from a stab wound in her torso; there was dried blood on her torn, white shirt. She looked up, she was in a spotlight. Beyond its borders was blackness. The young, human female shouted, "Hello?! Is anyone there?!"

She heard moaning and saw another spotlight turn on. It revealed a young, male lombax. He was also bound and tied. "Hello, who are you?" Harriet asked the dazed lombax.

"I'm… I'm Randall, who are you?" He asked. There was also a similar stab wound on his torso.

"Do you know where we are?" She asked.

Randall shook his head no. "Last I remember… I was, in my home reading when… I felt a sharp pain in my side… then… I wake up here. What about you?"

Harriet nodded, "Was about to leave for a party," She was definitely afraid and looked around.

They both jumped as they heard a deep, otherworldly voice ring out from the darkness. "Hello you two, I have brought you here for a simple purpose. Both of you get to be my company this evening. I hope you like blood, because… well… you'll be bleeding, a lot." At those words, their captor stepped into the light.

It was the one known as Calamity; the one she had heard about as a kid, the one that she thought was only myth, the one that had nearly destroyed her hometown of New Elko, the one that tortured and mutilated people for pleasure. His demonic eyes glowed and shifted colors. He also had an equally demonic grin on his face. He chuckled as he approached her.

A kid's song flashed through her mind. She and her friends used to sing it when Calamity was just a scary story. Heck the song's lyrics were meant to scare kids. Now, it's staccato tempo, repetitive lyrics, and upbeat tune terrified her.

Run from Calamity,

Hide from Calamity,

Fall by Calamity, he'll get you!

He'll go very slow,

You'll go very slow,

Run from Calamity,

Hide from Calamity,

Fall by Calamity, he'll get you!

Heee, will burn you!

Heee, will cut you!

Run from Calamity,

Hide from Calamity,

Fall by Calamity, he'll get you!

He'll go very slow,

You'll go very slow,

Run from Calamity,

Hide from Calamity,

Fall by Calamity, he'll get you!

Heee, will haunt you!

Heee, will scare you!

Run from Calamity,

Hide from Calamity,

Die by Calamity,

HEEE, WILL, GET, YOU!

Harriet screamed.

Present time…

The trip to the mansion took a few hours. Kaden had arranged transport by one of the vehicles Oliver had called an Atmo. Upon first seeing it, Ratchet wondered why the lombaxes had retrogressed to balloons and thrusters. The platform itself was shaped somewhat like a boat. It had two, swept-back wings. At the junction of the wings and craft, were two cylindrical balloons. There was one main thruster at the rear of the craft and three smaller ones on the bottom. The smaller ones could turn and change the direction of the craft.

The pilot of the craft was more than eager to answer the gang's questions about the strange craft.

"Why use balloons? Aren't they dangerous?" Bentley asked.

"Older ones, yes," Their pilot answered. He was a bit older than Rykk and most of the gang but he was younger than Kaden. He was a human/lombax hybrid; around six feet tall, had thin, brown fur all over his body, a lombax tail, and his ears were half the size. His name was Max Racine and was Kaden's private pilot. "But not only are these balloons impervious to Vector, the gas inside is very stable. The benefits are that if the engines fail, we won't crash. That and they provide a very stable platform for hunting and scouting. And the thruster allow us to move quickly."

"Not exactly what I'm used to, but they seem stable enough." Ratchet stated.

"Yeah, been flying this one for the past five years; your dad's a good employer, been working for him for three. From now on, I'll be taking you guys wherever you are needed."

During the flight, the group mingled with the new trio of lombaxes.

"So, you guys just got the VIM; hey Ratchet, what can you do?" Draxis asked. Ratchet was sitting in the seat across a table from him. Currently, the conversation consisted of Ratchet, Draxis, Fen, Sly, and Carmelita. Bentley, Murray, Talwyn, and Arco were sitting at another table in the Atmo's galley. Rykk, Atlas, Leo, and Kaden were sitting at another.

"Besides having tough skin, I can shrink down to the size of a bug, or I can grow up to a hundred feet!" Ratchet responded. He moved his hands and finger to emphasize what he said.

Draxis chuckled, "Not bad bro, guess you really haven't gotten the chance to be that big yet."

Ratchet shook his head, "Nope, but I'm dying to. I plan on trying it when we get to the mansion. My dad said it's remote and open."

Fen looked at Sly but had forgotten his name, "What about you, um?"

"Sly,"

"Sorry,"

"It's alright, well, I can…" Sly then vanished and appeared, standing, in the walkway next to the table.

The sight made Draxis say, "Awesome."

Fen just smiled.

Sly then teleported back into his seat "Can also climb on walls and ceilings."

"And you Ms.?" Draxis asked.

Carmelita smirked, "I can create fire. But I promised not to show it on board."

Draxis nodded, "Understandable."

The flight lasted for about three hours but it was smooth. They jumped off the craft and saw the Victorian-style mansion. It had four stories and was made of grey stone and dark wood. It looked a bit worn but not run down. Behind the house was a canyon and to one side was a tall plateau. The mansion also had a garden in the back.

"Now this place is nice, looks more like what we're used to Sly." Bentley said as he wheeled towards it.

"Looks like a big shack to me," Arco commented.

"It's nice inside," Kaden remarked as he opened the door. The interior had dark drown wood floor, it seemed typical of Agrona. The windows allowed the warm sunlight and gave the place a cozy feeling. In the main welcome area there was a large, grand staircase. The welcome area was an atrium that opened up three of the home's four floors.

"Not bad dad," Ratchet remarked.

"Thanks, everyone go take a look around. There are plenty of bedrooms; they're on the second and third floors. I found this place years ago, had in renovated as a vacation home and a place for friends. You have this evening to settle; because tomorrow, I'm no longer in charge, Rykk is."

Kaden then said to Rykk, "Theo, Nai, and Phil will be at Velocity, protecting the other chiefs, just in case."

Rykk nodded, "Good move."

At those words everyone scattered; Ratchet, Talwyn, Sly, Carmelita, Bentley, Murray, Draxis, Arco, and Fen, all ran to claim their rooms.

Sly simply teleported to the second story and opened a door.

Inside was Rykk, sitting on a bed with his arms crossed and a grin on his face, "Yeah, find another." He remarked and Sly growled.

Sly took off down the hall and soon found one that was unoccupied. Except for a small case of clothes that Terry had given him and his cane, Sly only had the clothes he was wearing. So he didn't spend really any time packing.

He decided to explore the place and set what little he had on the bed to mark it as taken. He stepped out onto the walkway and teleported to the ground floor. Well, let's see, where do I go first?

Ratchet bolted up the stairs. He saw Sly teleport and Talwyn fly up to the second story. Cheaters, he thought and growled. He soon found out that the mansion had at least fifteen bedrooms, so it wasn't a small place.

He was about to go into a room when someone cut in front of him and shoved him back. "Sorry," it was Arco.

Ratchet growled again but soon found an unclaimed room on the third floor. Like the others, he didn't have much. He didn't even have his wrench; he had lost it in the fight with Calamity.

He decided to take a look outside. He put his special pair of shorts on and a casual blue shirt. They didn't really match but he was dying to fully try out his new abilities.

As Ratchet made his way down the main stairs he passed his dad.

Kaden saw that his son was wearing the special shorts. "Ratchet, if you want to try out your new abilities, go out the front of the house. It's mostly all flat and empty land. I'd come, but I've got some things to work out here. But I can come out in a bit."

Ratchet nodded, said thanks, and made his way out the front door. He walked until he was about a quarter-mile away before finding a rock to lay his shirt on. He took some steps away from the rock and, closed his eyes, then breathed deeply. He focused on the extension and visualized what he wanted as best he could. He felt that strange sensation that told him he was changing. The sensation came and went in nearly an instant and Ratchet opened his eyes.

Ratchet saw far onto the Plain. The crimson ground was far below his eyelevel. The feeling of height and the rushing of the cool evening breeze upon his fur felt invigorating. He looked back at the mansion. It now looked like a kids' play set. The mansion was around sixty feet tall at its highest point.

Ratchet strode over to it; it only took him a few steps. The highest point on the mansion was the peak of a turret. That peak ended between Ratchet's chest and stomach. Huh, this feels so weird and yet, awesome at the same time. He thought as he, gently, touched the peak. His finger was now the size of the turret.

Ratchet's approach was heard and felt by everyone in the house. Alas, there was an uninformed caretaker outside the house when Ratchet approached it. She looked straight up and was staring at Ratchet's torso. He didn't notice the terrified caretaker; he was hunched over, fiddling with a weathervane. She was frozen, that is until he happened to look down and saw her. He smiled in a friendly manner but it didn't matter. The poor human screamed before running into the mansion.

Ratchet felt both embarrassed and entertained by her. Like a kid playing a prank. A minute later most of the group, led by Kaden came outside.

Ratchet took two steps back. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare her like that."

Kaden smirked, "I know you didn't, I was making rounds telling the servants not to freak if they saw a giant lombax. Looks like I missed one."

Rykk was smiling, "You should've seen her face when she came running in. She swore that you were going to kill her!" He finished his statement laughing. Rykk's laughter made everyone pause, it was one of the few times they heard a real laugh from him.

Draxis muttered, "Freak."

Ratchet grinned as Talwyn flew up to his eyelevel. She hovered a few feet from his nose, "Must say Ratchet, I think I like you this big."

Ratchet smiled as she kissed him on the cheek.

Talwyn then landed on his shoulder, "C'mon big guy, let's go for a walk."

Ratchet then noticed the looks he was getting from Fen, Draxis, Sly, and, well, all the guys in the group. He shook his head, turned so that he faced the wide open Plain, and he began to walk. His footfalls echoed through the ground.

"Man that guy's lucky," Draxis stated after Ratchet and Talwyn left. He turned back towards the mansion. As he did, he shoved brashly past Rykk before approaching Sly. "Hey Sly, we found a Sine Ball, want to play?"

Rykk growled at the shove but otherwise didn't respond. He just headed back inside the mansion.

Sly was a bit shocked at Draxis' move. "Uh… how do you play?"

"We'll explain the rules," Fen stated, "It isn't hard. There's two teams and they stand about fifty yards apart. Then they hit the ball. The ball cannot hit the ground between the teams and you score points whenever the other team allows the ball to drop."

Sounds similar to volleyball, only without a net and space between the teams. Sly thought. He shrugged, "Sure, I'm game."

The Sine Ball was about the size of a volley ball but its surface was more akin to a football or basketball. It was also a dark blue color, its color made it stand out against the ground and sky.

Draxis was the leader of one team and Fen was the leader of the other. Draxis' team consisted of; Arco, Atlas, and Carmelita. Fen's team's members were; Sly, Leo, and Kaden. Bentley and Murray decided to watch for most of the game as they both felt it unfair for either of them to play. Besides, the game was entertaining.

Typically Sine games would go till a team got twenty-five points. However this game, the score was quickly forgotten as everyone was just enjoying the fun.

Eventually Kaden was called inside the mansion by one of the caretakers. He had a call from one of the other chiefs.

"Hey Murray, take my spot!" Kaden shouted as he ran inside. "Don't worry, you'll do fine!"

Fen and his team waved for Murray to join them and serve the Sine Ball. Bentley also encouraged him to join in.

Though reluctant because of his strength, Murray conceded and took the ball. He tossed it up in the air and hit it.

Ratchet and Talwyn had been chatting while he walked. She enjoyed sitting on his warm, furry shoulder. "Y'know Ratchet, if it weren't for Calamity and this Ebony, this world would be actually nice."

She was right; the sun was beginning to set. It set the yellow sky ablaze with blue, violet, and pink colors. The crimson ground also added color and was beginning to cool.

Ratchet sighed, Talwyn felt it, "Yeah, in some ways it reminds me of Fastoon." He said as he turned back towards the mansion. He felt nervous as he wanted to tell Talwyn how much she meant to him. "Talwyn, I, I care about you, a lot, and I wanted to thank you for helping me find out about the lombaxes."

She smiled; his words put warmth in her heart. "Ratchet, I care about you to, I love you…"

What she said both semi-stunned him and too made his heart warm.

"…and I can't tell you how amazing it having you reunited with your people, with your family." She reached up and stroked the fur on his cheek.

"Thanks Tal, I don't know how I survived without you."

She chuckled, "Well, I almost did kill you, y'know?"

Ratchet laughed, "Yeah, and you called me dumb after that."

She smirked and crossed her arms, "I said that Clank was the smart one, never said anything about you being dumb."

"Ha!..." As soon as he exclaimed, Ratchet felt something hit the back of his throat. Instinctively he swallowed whatever it was. It also made him lightly cough once or twice. He pounded his chest with his fist to help the object move.

"Ratchet, you ok?" Talwyn asked with concern.

Ratchet nodded, "Yeah, a bird or something flew in my mouth. I'm alright though."

Talwyn recoiled slightly, "So… you just swallowed a bird?"

Ratchet carefully shrugged, "If it was a bird, yes; didn't have a chance to do anything else."

Talwyn put on a slightly sad face, "Poor birdie." She said pitifully.

Ratchet, being Ratchet, decided to mess with her a bit. "Well, it could've at least been a bit bigger. Y'know, something a bit more filling," He said with a smirk.

Talwyn slapped him, "Oh, stop that you!"

Within a few more steps they arrived back at the mansion. Ratchet was about to change back when he noticed everyone was scattered, looking for something.

He asked, "Hey, whatcha all looking for?"

Sly shouted, "We were playing a ballgame when Murray slammed the ball into the sky! Now we can't find it anywhere!"

Ratchet gulped and blushed slightly as he guessed what had happened.

Talwyn also guessed as to the ball's location and did her best not to laugh. She flew down to the scattered gang. "Guys, I think I know where your ball is." She stated grinning wider than ever.

"Where is it?" Draxis asked.

Talwyn simply pointed at Ratchet. "I think he swallowed it by accident."

Draxis sighed and rubbed his face. "How do you figure that?"

"We were walking and talking when he started to laugh. He stopped and I heard a gulp followed by some coughing. I didn't see anything come out when he coughed and he thought it was a bird."

Fen couldn't help but snicker at the news, as did everyone else who heard it.

"Sorry guys, I didn't know, and couldn't help it." Ratchet said, why does it seem like I have the worst luck in the universe? Is there like a "kick me!" sign on my back?

Rykk was standing nearby and looked at Talwyn. "So, your boyfriend…" He chuckled, "Really, you guys are too much." He then sighed, "Well, I can find out if he did or not. Man, I really ought to get paid for this." Rykk mumbled the last sentence. He then shouted to Ratchet, "Don't change back until I say, ok?!"

Ratchet nodded, the yellow fur on his cheeks had a pink hue.

Rykk then flew towards the embarrassed, giant lombax. "Now Ratchet, just stay still, ok?" Rykk's pupils then began to glow yellow. He flew straight towards Ratchet and vanished through the fur.

Ratchet was now even more embarrassed and confused. He felt a strange tingle in his belly and felt movement in it, really Rykk? Couldn't I have just coughed it up or something?

Ratchet ears heard Rykk speaking, albeit he was muffled. "Giant yellow furball just had to be standing in the wrong place..."

Ratchet growled; the sound reverberated inside the dark and slimy cavern, "Just hurry, this feels weird!"

"I'm not exactly having the time of my life either!" Rykk shouted back; he was more irritated than disgusted. With everything he's been through and seen, trying to find a ball inside Ratchet's stomach was relatively easy.

It was about a minute later when Rykk reappeared through the yellow fur. In his hand was the Sine Ball; albeit it was covered in saliva and digestive enzymes. Rykk was too, for a moment. He flashed some Alter across his body which burned away the slime and grime. He then did the same to the ball.

Rykk shook his head and tossed the ball to Fen. "Gotta say Ratchet, was wondering what kind of situations you were gonna get in with this power. Though, didn't think I'd be seeing this side of you, or should I say, inside." He said and Talwyn rolled her eyes.

Ratchet returned to normal size. He was still blushing.

Everyone was heading inside the mansion; it was starting to get dark.

Sly walked up to Ratchet, "Hey, don't be upset, we're just messing; ya gotta admit, it was funny."

Ratchet relented and chuckled, "Yeah I guess it was kind of funny."

Sly grinned he knew what would get Ratchet perked up. "Hey Ratchet, you know before training starts tomorrow, we have to have our rematch."

It worked, Ratchet grinned and his ears rose. "You're on,"

"Wait, what kind of rematch are you guys talking about?" Draxis asked. He had overheard the last part.

The competitive duo told Draxis about the contest. He responded by laughing. "Any way I can get in on the action?"

Ratchet and Sly both shrugged, "Sure, why not?"

"I'll jump in too, if it's ok?" The three were a bit surprised when they heard Fen speak.

"Really Fen? Didn't think you liked this kinda thing?" Draxis asked.

Fen shrugged, "I like to have fun. Figured that'll end tomorrow, so… can I?"

They nodded and found Rykk. He agreed to judge.

The dark entity known as Ebony was strolling casually through the ruins of Parson, her staff hit the cold, hard ground with each step. The sphere on top of the staff cast a bright, green glow. Wonder what those idiots are doing. Probably goofing off, if my hunch is correct, they're playing around with whatever powers they have. Those poor, simple fools; no matter if they spend their time playing around or training, they won't be ready. She smiled; she couldn't wait for them to come.

She walked into an old storehouse. It used to hold food, clothes, and weapons but all those were gone now. Its walls were made of stone and metal. The stone was cracked and the metal rusted. Looking at it, you wouldn't think it was anything special. Nothing noteworthy compared to the rest of the ruined, crumbling city. On the shelves rested objects that were more of an enigma than food, clothes, and weapons. There were dozens of spheres, all of them black with red and white streaks swirling on their surfaces.

Ebony strode down the aisle, she admired her collection. Their energy seeped out and made her feel strong. Despite the fact they all looked the same; she could tell the differences between them.

She picked one up and held it. Its surface was so smooth; it cast a soft white glow. "Get ready my pets," Ebony crooned, "Soon we'll have company."

In a short time, the four competitors were around a table in the large kitchen. Each one had a liter of Prime. The rest of the group decided to watch; even the girls. Not that they really enjoyed the competition, but they wanted to cheer their boyfriends on (Yes, Draxis and Arco were a couple). The competitors drew straws to see who would go first, that honor fell to Fen. He chugged a quarter of his liter down before unleashing.

After Fen went Sly.

After Sly went Ratchet.

After Ratchet went Draxis.

This cycle repeated four times. Each round the belches got bigger, louder, and longer. The laughter from the onlookers and participants echoed throughout the mansion.

It was late by the time they had finished and Rykk announced the winner. "I'd say the winner is… Fen!"

Fen just leaned back and belched again just for the heck of it. "Urp! Ah man, it feels good to be the king!" The red lombax stretched his arms. It seemed being the youngest in the whole group didn't stop him (Fen was around seventeen).

Draxis chuckled, he felt like his stomach was an ocean of Prime. "Gotta admit, I'm impressed Fen."

"You did pretty well yourself… I guess." Arco added before shaking her head and sighing, "Boys…"

Sly looked at Rykk, "Hey, between me and Ratchet, which was better?"

Rykk shook his head, "Sorry Sly, Ratchet got ya this time."

Ratchet laughed and exclaimed, "And the master thief goes down!" He also lightly punched Sly on the arm.

Talwyn laughed, "You guys are so immature," Then she turned to Ratchet, "But maybe that's why I like you."

Sly grunted, "Ah well, this was a lot of fun."

Carmelita giggled, "Oh you ringtail, what will I do with you?"

Sly shrugged, "Well, I've got a few suggestions."

Rykk stood up, "Guys, it's been a great evening but I strongly suggest going to bed soon. We'll be getting up early and you'll need the rest." With that he left. Kaden and Leo followed.

"E' told me what e's plannin'," Atlas started, "Oi suggest ya'll young-ins git ta sleep soon."

"Hey Atlas, what do you think about him killing Arctan?" Draxis asked. The sudden turn to a serious subject caught most at the table off-guard. "You think he should pay for it?"

Atlas shook his head, "No, why ya askin' about dat now?"

Draxis shrugged, "Just curious."

"Hey, Oi'm a Law Man, don't loie ta me; why ya askin?"

"Just trying to figure him out," Draxis sighed. "Arctan was my uncle."

Ah that why he especially doesn't like Rykk. Sly thought.

"Oh, Oi'm sorry,"

"Doesn't mean we got along but family is family." Draxis stated with a bit of anger and sadness.

Atlas paused thinking about what to say next. "Well, Oi'd say your anger es better spent on Calamity. However, if ya don't, den, Oi'd say try ta put your anger asoide. At least until dis mission es done, trust me, ya don't want ta backtalk Rykk. Dat es, unless ya want a beatin', ten go ahead."

Draxis got up, "Alright, see you guys in the morning."

Everyone began to make their way back to their rooms.

It was late and Ebony stood amidst the ruins of Parson. The city was dark and quiet; none of its ghastly residents bothered her. She liked it that way. She liked being on top, having those monsters under her control felt good. As she walked she kept her chin up high. For two reasons, her curved, black horns were a bit heavy on her head but the the main reason was because she felt like the apex predator. Everyone feared her.

The bright green light from the moon shone on the ruins.

Ebony was in an old church; its stone walls were cracked liked the storehouse's. She was relaxing on a carved-out, stone throne. The throne overlooked a big, circular arena. Her staff was in her hand and propped up against the arm of the throne. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

She then appeared as a dream to her contact. It was the same as what she had done to Ratchet. Again she stood in the colorless forest. She kept her full, detailed appearance hidden by a bright light behind her. "Well, what are your friends capable of?"

The contact was shaking a bit. "You, you promise you won't hurt her?"

"You know the deal." Ebony stated, "You tell me what they can do, and I'll make sure you two are unharmed."

Ebony's contact was very much afraid of her and Ebony reveled in it.

"W, well, one of us can shoot fire…"

Luckily, everyone slept well. That is, until either Kaden, Rykk, Atlas, or Leo came knocking. If you didn't answer, well they found a way to wake you.

Once everyone was up, Rykk had them line up out in front of the house. Except for Bentley, he was going to be training with Bones and Clank. He was being taught how to hack systems, build firewalls, and to store and retrieve data. He was also going to learn how to build and repair the local tech, gear, and weapons.

The rest stood out in dark, cool, early morning. Rykk stood before them and was smiling. "Good morning everyone, now, in case you do not know, I will explain our mission. In the dark city of Parson an entity known as Ebony wants Chief Ellipse to meet her. She wanted us to protect him from Parson's inhabitants, that's why I'm here. Parson is a haunted, dangerous city. Probably the most dangerous place on this cursed world. That and on the high probability that Ebony is antagonistic, we need to be in top form. So, I hope you like training. Cause me, Leo, and Atlas… we love it!" Rykk smiled smugly as he said the last sentence. "I thought we'd start today with a short run, get the blood flowing." Rykk spotted the look of anger on Draxis' face. He noted it and continued, "So everyone this way."

With that Rykk led the group on a fast, twenty-mile run. The rock formations were tall and haunting. The group ran the twenty in an hour, even Murray.

Everyone in the group was breathing hard (except for Rykk) and sweaty but ok.

"Well that was nice," Rykk said as he stretched his arms. "Now, I have a simple goal for all of you." He took a few steps away from the group. "Hit me, no powers though, for me or you; just hand-to-hand."

"All of us? At once?" Arco asked.

Rykk nodded.

Atlas and Leo were standing off to the side. They were ready to watch the chaos.

Everyone looked at each other before charging. The first to reach Rykk was Draxis. But it really didn't matter who reached him when. Each one was lying on the ground in a few minutes time. Rykk was smooth and fast. But they were strong, so they all got up quickly. They moaned as they stood up.

"Next, I do some one-on-one training and fighting." Rykk stated before nodding to Atlas and Leo. They approached the group. "Sly, you're first. The rest of you, do whatever they say."

Sly and Rykk walked a ways to the canyon behind the mansion. They made their way to the bottom of the canyon.

As they walked Rykk mentioned, "Hey, Bones and Clank, with some help from Bentley, will be building you a new, stronger staff. Don't worry; they won't be touching your original. They're making a new one."

"So it can hurt Calamity?"

"Yeah, that and hopefully Ebony. It should be done in about two days. When it's done we'll train with it."

It was a short time later when they reached the spot Rykk had picked.

"Alright Sly, we're going to fight but you can use your powers. The rules are just like last time; hit me." Rykk motioned with his hands "come get me".

Sly grinned, "Let's do this."

Sly and Rykk then faced each other, each in his own stance. Sly made the first move and teleported away. He reappeared on the side of the canyon wall.

Rykk's sensed where he was and fired a nonlethal bolt of Alter.

Sly then teleported in front of Rykk, as soon as he appeared he threw a kick. He aimed it at Rykk's leg.

Rykk grabbed Sly's leg and threw him.

Sly teleported in midair,

Ultimately, that's how most of the fight went.

Sly was unable to score a direct hit but he got thrown, hit, kicked, and/or pinned in each of his attempts.

"You've got a good skill, but you've got to be unpredictable." Rykk stated during their final round.

Sly teleported behind Rykk and tried to hit his back.

As usual though, he failed. Rykk did a leg sweep and knocked Sly onto his back. Sly was bruised and panting as Rykk sat on him. Rykk looked down at the thief's face. "Like I said, predictable, be more erratic. You're good in hand-to-hand, figure there's little I can teach you there. Later on today, we'll see just how stealthy you are." With that, Rykk helped Sly to his feet and they walked back.

They found the group being led through various drills by Atlas and Leo. They were walking around and watching the group as they were doing pushups. If they saw something they didn't like, they called the person out. "Jump in," Rykk ordered and Sly joined the group. "Ratchet! You're up!" Rykk shouted and he came.

"Man, those guys are brutal." He said as he stretched his arms.

As they walked away, they could hear Leo shouting to the group to begin a new drill.

"They have to be, better get used to it. Hey, got some news that'll make you happy."

"What?"

"Bones, Clank, and Bentley are gonna be building you a new wrench; one that will be able to hurt Calamity. Should be done in a couple days, we'll train with it when you get it."

Ratchet smiled, "That's awesome! I gotta say, I miss holding it, not just as a weapon, used it to build many things." He remembered building his first ship.

Rykk took him to the same spot he took Sly, "Ratchet; right now I want you to stay your normal size. You see, when you're a giant, well, there's little to teach. I will do what I can in that area soon, but the more pressing need is to teach you good hand-to-hand. Understand?"

Ratchet was somewhat disappointed but got it. "Yeah, but I will get to train with my power soon?"

Rykk nodded, "Yep, later today, hit me!"

Ratchet, used to guns and a wrench in his hand, wasn't quite used to pure hand-to-hand. So, needless to say, he was beat pretty bad. They only went two rounds before Rykk decided to show him some moves.

"This is a move from a martial art called Wing Chun, though I can't remember the name. Now, throw a punch." Rykk stated.

Ratchet did.

Rykk quickly spun his hands. He knocked the punch downward with one hand and with the other performed a counterattack. He didn't hit Ratchet, but stopped less than an inch from his forehead.

"Think of your hands like a spinning wheel."

Ratchet copied the spinning motion, it wasn't a hard movement but it was fast. It was also the last of six moves Rykk went over with him.

"Practice these moves and you'll do fine."

"Thanks,"

"Time to go back," Rykk said as they headed back.

One by one, Rykk fought, studied, and taught his students. Each one required different teaching and instruction. He found their weaknesses and taught them how to improve them.

For example, Murray's advantage was his strength, but one of his weaknesses was the tendency to get tunnel vision. He tended to focus on only one target and not pay attention to what was going on around him. And Talwyn had the opposite problem, she thought too much. It would slow her down and Rykk did his best to help correct it.

When Rykk got to Draxis, he asked, "What do you want to say to me?"

Draxis was silent.

Rykk shook his head, "We need to get this out of the way. Tell me,"

Draxis looked away, "Why'd you kill my uncle?"

Rykk sighed, "You mean Arctan?"

Draxis nodded.

"Why do you think?"

"I thought it was because you were a lunatic."

Rykk nodded, "I was…"

Rykk's response got Draxis' attention, it wasn't what he expected.

"…being possessed by Calamity made me a lunatic. Part of me, the human part, not the Being, could only watch. Yes I was hurt, yes I was angry; yes I hated him, but I would not have murdered him." Rykk's eyes became wet. "I was horrified,"

Draxis, still angry, softened his expression slightly. "He and I got along, though, we weren't close, nor were we distant. Still, he was family. I just, can't see him trying to have a bunch of kids killed."

"No, you can't. Family does that, it blinds you from truth. Look, if I could bring him back, I would. But I think it better if we focused on Ebony and Calamity, agreed?"

Draxis wiped some tears away. "Yeah, now what are you gonna teach me?"

As far as the best hand-to-hand fighter, that honor fell to Sly. The one that came closest to taking Rykk down with his powers was Fen.

You see, Ferra, Fen's hawk, was unlike anything Rykk had encountered before. Not only was she psychically connected to Fen, she could change forms; from the big hawk she stayed most of the time, to a pair of crows, to a swarm of hornets. As long it had wings and was the same in mass as the hawk, she could turn into it. Fen had the habit of turning her into a swarm of hornets to distract his foe and then attack.

It was a good tactic but Rykk was more experienced. Even without Ferra, Fen was great in hand-to-hand. Of the trainees, only Sly was better.

After Rykk finished going through each one, he sent them inside for breakfast.

When they finished, they went on another run, this time ten miles. Rykk changed things up a bit by stopping at random and made them spar one another.

When they got back, Rykk resumed the one-on-one teaching. The others were still being drilled by Leo and Atlas. Though friends, they had no problem calling you out if you failed or tried to just get by.

This continued until the evening. Then they had dinner and then they all, as a team, did a few all-out rounds against Rykk, powers and all.

The final round and only; Ratchet, Carmelita, Sly, Arco, and Fen were still standing.

Rykk saw Ratchet try to swat him with his huge hand. Rykk jumped over it, ran up his arm, and fired a stunning blast of Alter into the forty-foot tall lombax. The blow made him fall back and he held his head. He was down.

Rykk landed and shielded himself from a fiery blast. He flew around Carmelita as she fired blue flames at him. She made sure the flames weren't hot enough to damage but hot enough to feel. Rykk flew up into the air and dove towards her. He created a shield of Alter and was safe from the blue flame. He then used his Alter to fire a blast of wind at her. The blast knocked her into a boulder and stunned her. She was down.

Rykk sensed something behind him. He spun and blocked a punch from Sly. They then began a very quick exchange of blows and blocks. The exchanged lasted for a minute. Both exhibited extraordinary reflexes, flexibility, and athleticism. Sly got a break and teleported. Rykk guessed where he was going to reappear and threw a kick to his right. The kick connected and sent Sly back. He was down.

Arco and Fen stood underneath a glowing, red energy shield Arco was generating. Fen pointed at Rykk and Ferra flew at him. She turned into a swarm of bees as she flew. Rykk covered himself in Alter and the bees' stings did nothing to him as he approached the shield. Fen charged him. He went down shortly, as did Arco.

While everyone got up, Rykk stated, "You guys did well for the first day. Go get some rest, cause tomorrow is another day of training."

And so it went for most of the week. On the fifth day, Bentley presented Sly with his new cane, and Clank gave Ratchet his new wrench.

Sly, though initially skeptical, was impressed by the cane. The new cane was basically the same in shape and weight as the old. However, it had a darker grey shaft and the curved head was now black with dark grey edges. When activated, the edges would glow bright yellow and could deliver either a concussive blast or an electrical shock. Sly twirled the cane around a bit, "Not bad, it feels just like mine! I trust you'll keep that safe?" He asked Bentley.

Bentley nodded, "No problem Sly, I can put it in a safe here. The safe is impenetrable and I'll give you the combo. Also, I put an energy tether device in it. That way, you can grapple things outside your reach."

"Bentley, you are awesome!" Sly said as he pointed the staff at a rock. He shot a yellow beam and the rock levitated off the ground. He brought it within his reach and grabbed it with his free hand.

"It isn't as strong as Ravage or Alter, so don't count on it to pick up things bigger than a basketball." Bentley warned.

Sly smiled, "Ah, thanks Bentley."

Clank used his built-in energy tether to carry and give the new wrench to Ratchet. He was like a little kid at Christmas time.

It was in size and shape similar to the Omniwrench. It had a different look though as it was mostly dark grey and had highlights of crimson. On the wrench's head was the same, lighter grey metal that was on Sly's cane. When activated it did glow a bright green.

"Wow Clank, this feels great!" He performed a few practice swings with it.

Clank's avatar nodded. "You are welcome; the wrench has a few different tricks. For one, it has extendable blades on the edges of the head."

Ratchet extended the inch-long blades. They too glowed green. "Neat,"

"When the blades aren't extended, the wrench will deliver an energy blast. It can also deliver a pulse of energy over a short distance."

Ratchet held his new toy out. He pointed its head at a boulder. He felt a blast of recoil as he fired a green pulse from the wrench. The pulse left a burn mark/crater on the stone.

"Now, this is a wrench, this is amazing!"

"I have one last thing for you Ratchet," Clank said and summoned an item from his own, internal Utility. He then gave it to Ratchet. The item was a bracelet that had a single, Utility square on it. The bracelet's band felt like his special shorts. "Yes, it is the same material as your shorts. That way you can store your wrench when you grow or shrink. I was also able to weave in some special metal fibers so that it'll be nearly indestructible."

Ratchet chuckled, "Clank, you're a genius. I can't wait to try this out!"

So, the next day Rykk started sparring them with weapons. He used nonlethal, training versions of his Tonfa blades and they used their weapons but they weren't activated.

The rigorous training did show results by the end of the week and a half. While they weren't dramatic, each person had a firm grasp of their abilities and how to use them. Each of them, at one point, scored one hit on Rykk. They also began to function better as a team and came up with ways to combine their powers.

The time went fast and before they knew it, it was time to board the Atmo for Parson.

Of all the chapters I've written (ok except for the third chapter where Rykk is introduced and maybe one more) I haven't looked forward to writing a chapter more than the upcoming one.

Thoughts, ideas, and reviews are greatly appreciated,

Stay tuned for the next chapter.

Jerod2447