Disclaimer: I don't own Ratchet & Clank, credit goes to Insomniac Games. I own Loric Ellebor, Egandor, Asyrian and the Unseen Destroyer.
Chapter 5: The Price of Survival
"Do you think I'm playing games here?" the Unseen Destroyer's deep voice echoed in the room, the mark of rage making it menacing as dark intent hid behind it. "I'm not asking you to tell me, I demand it! How can you manipulate time? This" he continued as he held a spherical Time Bomb right in front of Clank's face. "Did you build it?"
The robot gave a negative response, though reluctantly as regret for his cooperation instantly settled within.
"Then where did you find it?" After a long pause caused by Clank's insistent silence, the landlord kept on speaking. "Time is something only the Zoni can tinker with. I take it you're a Zoni, though in a form different than I'm accustomed to." The creature of unknown origins leaned his face close to Clank's, who felt disturbed by the sight before him. "Where is it that they dwell? Where do they guard their secrets?"
Clank's vision, flawless due to the fact that it wasn't prone to physical corruption like the one of organic lifeforms, allowed him to delve beyond the hood's shade and observe the landlord's face. Little information did he manage to acquire about his origins. He could barely distinguish his rough, brown skin and seemingly sharp teeth. Instead of succumbing to the urge to keep away, Clank's gears turned while he observed the Unseen Destroyer's face for signals of familiarity were sent from his CPU to his circuitry. His optics narrowed as faint waves of recognition rushed within him.
"Answer me!" the ruler of Zanimal yelled and drew away momentarily.
Startled by his enemy's violent change of mood, Clank gave into silent deliberation so as to understand what made him feel that the Destroyer's kind was not something entirely foreign. As a means of evading his glare, Clank examined the room he was in. It appeared to be made of metal and only a few devices probably designed to cause great physical pain were filling it. He assumed they hopefully couldn't be used to torture him as he wasn't an organic. However, robots weren't invincible. He had been locked in there for hours, confined until he could find the will to comply with the landlord's request. He did not wish to find such will. He could not disclose crucial information concerning the existence of the Great Clock. He could not betray Orvus' trust. "I am not aware of their location" he replied languidly.
"Liar! You, a scrap of metal, think you can feed me with lies and get away with it?" the Unseen Destroyer shouted for his patience had faded and disappeared. All of his efforts had led to nothing. The robot before him wasn't about to reveal anything concerning his knowledge about the Zoni. And now as he had predicted, he received nothing but a spiteful glare by an offended Clank. "Very well" the Unseen Destroyer uttered with discontent and walked towards the door. "Expect no clemency from me the next time you and I have our next conversation" he murmured.
Before he could head out of the room, he heard Clank speak. "Where is my friend?" he requested demandingly though caution was also apparent in his voice.
The Unseen Destroyer answered after he laughed venomously. "Don't expect to see him anytime soon. He's probably dead by now."
He laughed again in a malicious manner and finally walked out of the room, intending to return as soon as he'd find the means to torture the robot so as to get the information he wanted from him. Though he believed he had just made a promising start. He abandoned the room and left the shadows of his victory obscure Clank's form as the door behind him sealed and the thud produced stole all traces of artificial light.
For what seemed like a century, Clank only stood there trying to convince himself this was not the truth. The horror he had felt years ago when he had truly lost his best friend crept back, making his entire circuitry overheat. The sound of blinking as he shut and opened his optic lids was the only sound while the Unseen Destroyer's poisonous words repeated themselves over and over again, their effect worse than that of a virus.
TTTTTT ~~~ TTTTTT
"Alright, let's get out of here" Ratchet heard an unknown voice speak as he slowly began to regain consciousness. The excruciating pain on his injured arm was the main cause of his awakening.
"Ha ha ha. He won't survive for long" a different voice declared.
After a while, he heard a sound of something dropping right next to him and a minute later the noises made it clear that the ship which had brought him to his punishment was now setting off. It didn't take long for silence to reign.
After finally finding the strength to overpower sweet oblivion, Ratchet opened his eyes and stood up as fast as he could. He spotted the object that had fallen beside him and took hold of it ungratefully; it was a metallic rod with a crude design, resembling a plain crowbar.
"You okay Clank?" Ratchet asked to no one in particular while keeping his gaze fixed on the rod in his hands. It took him some time to realise he was all alone. Again… "Clank?" He called once more while searching around but to no avail. For the second time in less than 24 hours he had woken up to a completely unfamiliar place and without his best friend. He shook his head with these thoughts, voicelessly admitting that Talwyn was indeed right about him.
Ratchet explored his surroundings as light rain kept on descending and he observed a lot of plants almost as tall as the dark sky above his head, their yellow leaves sparkling as drops of water landed on their surface making their shade give into an enchanting hue of golden. No sand was beneath the sole of his boots anymore. This time the ground was consisted of soil and fallen, unnaturally triangular leaves. He frowned, his features changing into a confused expression. "This can't be Zanimal. Where the heck am I?" he quietly spoke to himself.
Something moved from behind the foliage and the sound of thrusting leaves was detected by Ratchet's sensitive ears. He rapidly turned around and awaited for the predator to move forward, the crowbar held even tighter as if it was the only thing that allowed him to cling to dear life. Some seconds of stillness passed. Ratchet's heart began racing faster. And another one. Adrenaline shadowed every sign of hesitation. And another one. Ratchet breathed deeply.
And as he had predicted, his enemy jumped out of its hiding place. He couldn't resist to curse under his breath after he set eyes on the hunter. The creature was at least twice as tall as Ratchet, four-legged and had ashen fur and incredibly sharp fangs that seemed to promise agonizing pain with the slightest contact. The wolf-being bore its teeth at the wounded newcomer and moved to a position that indicated it was ready to attack. Ratchet could barely hide his astonishment as he had never encountered an enemy like this before. Despite the much distracting pain on his arm, he stubbornly refused to expose any signs of panic. He held the crowbar defensively with his unhurt arm and prepared for what would be thrown at him next.
The wolf-being attacked and as reflexes reacted, Ratchet hit its face with the crudely constructed weapon. The enemy was slightly confounded but its objective to devour its prey returned quickly. Ratchet was assaulted again but managed to jump backwards and land safely after performing a mid-air somersault. Instead of attacking, he grey-furred creatures howled in the air and in a matter of seconds, more of its kin appeared and surrounded the young mechanic.
Ratchet looked around him, observing the eyes of each wolf-being and seeing nothing but hunger in them. "So, you brought your friends? Can't beat me on your own?" he said to the hunting animal he was initially fighting with, his wit never forsaking him.
The response he received was a loud growl from that very wolf-being, the rest of the pack imitating this act right after and creating a sound that resembled boiling water. Ratchet reacted fast and performed a comet-strike with the crowbar just the way he always did whenever he fought with his OmniWrench, disorientating his predators and grabbing the chance to flee. Needless to say the wolf pack were hot on their tracks, hell-bent on capturing the banished gladiator.
Ratchet ran faster than he had ever run in his life, his heart pounding so quickly that his chest hurt. He took glances behind him to calculate the distance that separated him from the bloodthirsty wolves. They seemed to be catching up fast as they raced in high speed, their fangs exposed in eagerness to claim their the newcomer's life. A wolf managed to get dangerously close to Ratchet and hence, he decided to sacrifice his crowbar and throw it at the hunter in order to get the upper hand. The wolf tripped and fell on the ground, resulting in being left behind as the rest of the herd continued the race.
Ratchet was left with no means to defend himself. He hoped his feet wouldn't fail him as he tried to gain more speed, despite the sheer exhaustion that began to overtake him. He narrowed his eyes as the rain moistened his fur. He gritted his teeth as a result of beginning to lose the battle. After running for so long, he couldn't help but gradually slow down as his lungs started to ache due to all of his effort. The wolves were approaching him more and more as the seconds passed, disclosing their voracious mood. He couldn't fail, he just couldn't allow himself to fail.
And while everything seemed lost and Ratchet considered himself already defeated, the ground beneath his feet suddenly caved in and crumbled, revealing a deep hole. The power of gravity instantly took over and Ratchet began falling, totally unable to prevent himself from screaming. The wolves ceased running and stood right at the edge of the vertical slope, watching with disappointed eyes as their prey was being swallowed by unforgiving darkness.
Ratchet attempted to grab onto some thick roots that had lashed him earlier while he was falling. His first endeavours were met by failure but after a while he managed to control his fall by gripping one of the roots. His descent had been ceased but his arm hurt even more now. With dropped ears, he looked up and saw the hole where he had fallen from far away from him. He was deep under the surface and the only thing that could reach him was the rain. He looked down and was faced with nothing but darkness. He had no idea how far the ground might be. And he couldn't keep hanging from the root for long because of his injured arm, neither could he try to climb down as his wounded arm would fail him and he would end up falling anyway. His intense panting and the rainfall was all that could be heard. The rainfall…
Ratchet perked up his ears and his eyes widened, glowing with slight cheer. He had come up with an idea. He concentrated on the sound of rain to see if he could actually hear it touch the ground. Much to his good fortune, he could listen to the raindrops crushing on steady soil quite clearly. This meant he could attempt to let go of the root without running the risk of serious injury or certain death. He inhaled deeply and commenced his plan as his arm literally burned by the great effort he made in order to cling to the root. The downfall had begun again.
This time it was cut short by his contact with the ground that was accompanied by a loud thud. He had landed a bit clumsily but without incurring any kind of injury. 'Damnit, Qwark. I could have skipped all this trouble if you hadn't lost my hoverboots', he thought angrily as the aforementioned incident replayed itself in his head. That hadn't been a good day and the more he remembered it the more he wondered why he hadn't tried to kill the green-suited hero yet. On the other hand, he could have landed safely if Clank was with him. 'Clank… Where are you, pal?' he thought worryingly.
Ratchet stood up and rubbed his arm, pain becoming sharper than before and disturbing him. He tried his best to ignore it by looking around so as to locate a path he could walk on. Pitch blackness enveloped everything. He took the first steps out of the rainfall and into the darkness, mostly relying on his hearing and touch. With some effort, he managed to find an uphill path and followed it hesitantly.
After many minutes of soundless walking, Ratchet found himself in an almost circular area which was illuminated by the dim moonlight thanks to a hole above his head similar to the one he had fallen from. He wandered there, his footsteps imprinted on the mud with every movement. All of a sudden, he stumbled on something and almost fell but managed to maintain his balance. He glared at the ground to find the object responsible for this little setback but his expression changed drastically as soon as he located it. He had stumbled on bones.
Ratchet resisted the urge to avert his stare and while inspecting the bones he recognised two skeletons laying lifeless on the mud, one of them with an old blaster on his (or her) side, probably used for self-defense. Ratchet outstretched his arm carefully in order to reach the blaster. He grabbed it with caution, as if it would break or his actions would wake up its owner, and retrieved it with a grateful smile.
"I'm sure you wouldn't mind if I borrowed this, would ya" he told the deceased creature, his expression as well as the tone of his voice indicating he was still feeling unsettled to say the least.
He examined the blaster as elaborately as the light would allow him to. It was a very old model but any kind of weapon was welcome at that moment. A beastly roar alerted his senses. His ears instantly erected and his tail remained motionless so as not to attract any attention. The roar repeated itself, this time much more loudly. Ratchet slowly turned around to face the source of the monstrous snarl. His eyes widened as soon as he sighted a being similar to the wolves that were hunting him earlier. However, this one had crimson fur, red irises and was visibly larger than the other creatures. It was breathing rapidly, an expression so furious and devoid of consciousness it had an unnerving effect on Ratchet. The Lombax aimed at the predator steadily with the old blaster and took a few steps backwards, this time without stumbling.
The crimson wolf barked and Ratchet immediately pulled the trigger, his instincts reacting to the sudden disturbance of relative quietness. Nothing but a click penetrated the atmosphere. He did so again only to be met with the same result. He quickly formed in his mind another way of shielding himself. Though it had failed in the past, he gave it a shot and threw the blaster on the wolf. It seemed to have little to no effect. "Okay, I gotta face it. This. Never. Works" he concluded aloud.
As if it was promising him salvation Ratchet ran into the darkness, his new-found hunter following closeby. He hit himself on walls several times due to his lack of vision and while ardently trying to escape. Paws colliding with the mud could be clearly heard, which only made him defy the fatigue that plagued his body and run with more velocity. Crashing on the walls wasn't as unpleasant as the thought of being devoured by the giant wolf hunting him and Ratchet was more than willing to endure this discomfort if his life was about to be saved. He believed the lack of vision worked as an advantage for the sound of running behind him receded more and more. He could only suppose that the wolf had lost track of his own course and thus, he began walking while feeling the walls with his hands in order not to fall on them.
After that suspenseful chase and without being certain he had eluded danger, Ratchet found an opening to the outside. Sighing in relief because he had reached the surface again he walked towards the exit, feeling the frozen touch of the breeze and humidity caused by the rain.
There was penetrating cold and at this particular moment the young Lombax felt glad he possessed fur. While roaming outside, walking under the moonlight and beneath the tall branches of the yellow plants he searched for a place to rest preferably without the danger of being eaten alive. He could spot no predator near him so he decided he could slow down the pace. In the meantime he made sure to remain in the shadows, avoiding any hungry eyes. It didn't take long for Ratchet to locate a rock structure that resembled a very small cave. It could shelter him for some hours.
Ratchet was able to find a few logs of woods and start a small fire. He wasn't sure if it was a good idea as he feared it could become a source of trouble. It could easily attract more wolf-beings. But the cold had become too pitiless and Ratchet had a hard time withstanding it, even with his wet, golden fur standing on end. He sat with his back against the rock right in front of the makeshift hearth and for the first time since he set foot on this forgotten planet he felt his senses relax.
'Okay, first things first. How did I end up here?' he began to reconcile with this perplexing reality. The last thing he remembered before waking up like dinner served to the very hungry inhabitants was that he was fighting at the Coliseum. He remembered the heat and the sand vividly. He recalled he suddenly started hearing voices again, like those in his dream that began it all. And then the Unseen Destroyer. Afterwards, everything went black and there he was. Stranded, unarmed and alone.
Ratchet grabbed the pocket watch he always carried with him and opened it, revealing the photograph of two Lombaxes. Alister Azimuth and Kaden. This tiny object was a source of solace to him for various reasons and in many hours of distress. Sometimes he looked at it to remember past, yet bittersweet, events that connected him with the General and in other occasions he observed his father's proud face, wondering what he acted like, if he himself was at all like him and how things would be if he had ever met him. This time he stared at the golden-furred Lombax, thinking of Loric's words.
"Kaden's Armor…" he murmured in reflection and sighed. He wondered if he was doing the right thing. He was away from Polaris, a galaxy he felt he had the debt to protect. It could be in grave danger and he could do nothing about it. He was away from Talwyn. He could die and she'd never know how he felt about her. He didn't even say a proper goodbye. And he had left her behind because of a selfish dream. To know more about his father and the Lombaxes.
Was he really treading the right path? Everytime he tried to get closer to his kind, devastation seemed to follow. Was his fate bound to this reality? Could he do anything at all to control it? Was he meant to live as a remnant of a once glorious civilisation? All those thoughts, all these questions filled him with more and more grief every day. Ratchet was never the one to lose confidence and optimism though. He always maintained his gift to care for others and help as much as he could. On the inside though, his mind was clouded by unanswered questions and the lack of closure. For years an empty space seemed to grow within him, a space not even Clank was able to fill.
He closed his eyes and shut the pocket watch as soon as he remembered his friend. He was worried about his well-being, wondering if he was even safe. Dreadful solitude set in as he now became fully aware of his friend's absence. And his ship. His precious ship was damaged and abandoned. He would have to do something about it. If he ever got out of this place alive… He looked upwards to the shadowed sky above him as light raindrops fell, though they were unable to touch him due to the small, stony shelter. He felt his eyes beginning to close, controlled by weariness. He still wasn't feeling secure enough to allow himself to have some rest but he couldn't help this action. Rubbing his pained arm and thinking he wouldn't give up until he was reunited with Clank, Ratchet was defeated by exhaustion and his emerald eyes closed. He was embraced by a dreamless sleep and some moments later the sound of rainfall faded away.
An hour later, Ratchet woke up with a jolt. He was certain he had heard something, he was sure something was there that wanted to devour him. He still felt extremely tired but his wish to survive obscured the urge to fall back asleep. He looked around cautiously, ready to get up and run if necessary. A sound of crackling wood attracted his attention and his gaze was now fixated on the hearth. The fire was almost extinguished but weak flames still burned. Deciding the burnt logs weren't worth his attention, he inspected the area around him with clenched fists. Distant howls could be perceived for the rain had stopped, no longer blurring all noises. The perturbing possibility that the wolf-beings might be returning agitated his nerves, slowly empowering a sense of misgiving.
A metallic sound next to him startled him and he rapidly turned his gaze to the source. "Huh?" he uttered as he observed his trusty OmniWrench lying on the mud.
"Please don't tell me we ruined your vacation. We have a map to obtain" a familiar voice broke the silence.
"Loric?" Ratchet spoke in astonishment and relief. "What happened? Where in Solana are we? Where's Clank?!" After a short pause and much to Loric's annoyance, Ratchet made one more question. "Who's that?" Loric couldn't help but rub his forehead.
"I'm Egandor" the brown-furred man answered. "And you… You're a true Lombax?" his voice held much enthusiasm.
"Uh yeah, last time I checked" Ratchet replied with a raised eyebrow.
"Asyrian will be very excited! Nice to meet you!" Egandor noted and rapidly took his arm so as to shake it but Ratchet withdrew it with a grimace that betrayed his agony. Loric stared at him with a questioning look.
"I need some Nanotech" Ratchet reported.
"There should be some in the ship we s-" Loric said, only to be interrupted by Egandor.
"You're tellin' me this convenient stick of yours can hypnotise robotic guards, scare away those big dogs but can't heal? That's just cr-"
"Wait, you scared away those creatures with this thing?" Ratchet broke out, pointing at Loric's white staff. "And all I've been doing is run around this planet to avoid becoming their meal? You'd make a fortune if you sold it to GrummelNet."
Loric looked at both of his companions with a dumbfounded look. Ratchet couldn't tell if he was feeling confused or if he wanted to strike them both with his stick. "It's not that simple. It would take hours to explain" was his sole reply. "And actually, we're not on a planet. We're on Zanimal's orbiting satellite, the Golden-Razor Jungle."
"That's impossible. I saw a moon" Ratchet stubbornly disputed.
"That's the Golden-Razor Jungle's satellite, Aztic" Egandor let him know.
"You're telling me I'm on Zanimal's satellite which also happens to have a satellite? Does Zanimal even have a moon?" Ratchet was unable to believe what he was being told.
"Yup, it does. Welcome to Astarte, um, mister Lombax."
"Ratchet" the mechanic introduced himself. "And I'm pretty sure we're not on a satellite. Satellites don't have an atmosphere, thus they don't have weather conditions. In case you haven't noticed, it's raining!" he went on. 'Wow, I sound like a nerd. Clank would be proud.'
Egandor glared at his new acquaintance. "Well this satellite does have an atmosphere so it does have weather conditions."
"That doesn't make it a satellite, it makes it a planet that's… orbiting another planet, I guess."
"How can a planet-"
"Will you quit it?!" Loric yelled, patience failing to restrain his indignation.
"He started it" Egandor stated and pointed at the Lombax. Ratchet immediately scowled at him.
"I don't care, just quit it. Now, let's head for the ship. I'd rather not linger in here. I don't like the vibes this place is giving off. It's haunted by dark forces" Loric grumbled and moved ahead.
Egandor did the same and Ratchet followed after taking his OmniWrench. "Oookay…" he muttered simply to avoid becoming overly amused by Loric's weird and, according to Ratchet cheesy, way of talking. His mind instantly drifted off to something more serious. "Is Clank alright?"
"He should be. I believe Asyrian will have released him by the time we get to Zanimal" Loric informed without turning his head.
"Asyrian?"
"My sister" Egandor's words answered Ratchet's query. "She used to be a prisoner like you but me and Loric freed her. You see, Clank was taken by the Unseen Destroyer for interrogation. Because of his powers."
"He's a Zoni, isn't he?" Loric finally revealed the suspicions he had all along and at this instant he ceased walking and turned around to look at Ratchet who was standing still, looking angry.
"That's it, he's done for!" he said in fury.
"Don't worry, your friend is fine" Loric sighed and resumed walking, leading the way.
"I'm going to blast him with my R.Y.N.O. and then kick his ass all the way to Veldin and back" Ratchet continued and went on and on about how he was going to make the Unseen Destroyer's life a hell.
In order to create a safe distance between him and the Lombax who seemed to be in a fit of rumbling, Egandor walked fast to catch up with Loric. "He's kind of scaring me. Remind me to never piss him off."
Loric only moaned in mental exhaustion. Why from all the inhabitants of Zanimal did he have to stumble on Egandor? He was on the verge of leaving him there and taking only Ratchet with him. At least he was easier to put up with, despite his usual stubborness which in fact he was starting to get used to. He smiled wickedly in the thought but of course he never intended to make it happen. Instead, he spoke to Ratchet who fortunately had stopped describing ways of making one's life miserable.
"By the way, I found your weapon kept in a glass cabinet in the Unseen Destroyer's quarters. It was like he was keeping it as a, um… trophy? Souvenir? I don't know. I just found it… odd."
Ratchet finally calmed down and observed his trademark weapon with a smile. "Thanks, Loric. So any ideas how we're gonna find the map?"
"Asyrian happens to be an expert on the Lombax species. She's known of the map's existence for years and she believes she's discovered its location" Egandor spoke.
"Where is it?" Ratchet asked curiously.
"I dunno mate, I always fall asleep on that part" Egandor confessed sluggishly. Ratchet silently growled.
"There it is" Loric exclaimed and pointed at the ship after several minutes of walking. "At last. Let's leave this cursed place before my chakras are charged with negative energy."
Ratchet was unable to suppress an entertained grin while Egandor scratched the area behind his ear, asking what in the name of the Twin Galaxies Loric was talking about.
TTTTTT ~~~ TTTTTT
"You're going to be okay, Asyrian. Yes, you are. You survived in the damn Coliseum for five whole months" the young rebel told herself as she roamed into the Unseen Destroyer's headquarters. She was in a gigantic building made of metal and glass, a little farther from the Coliseum. Currently she was exploring the higher floors, searching for the diminutive robot.
"You sneaked past the guards. And let's be honest, you could have avoided all security systems if there were any. The hard part's behind you" she went on murmuring to herself as she wandered through the halls in a quiet manner. A shadow caused her to shriek but she instantly put her hand on her mouth so as to silence herself. She eyed the shadow on the floor. Its owner had stopped on their tracks, obviously alarmed by the female's yell. Nothing moved for several seconds when the shadow disappeared and the sound of footfall slowly faded away. Asyrian let out a sigh, ridding herself of a burden she didn't know she had until then.
"Okay, calm down. Calm down" she whispered under extreme stress and took deep breaths. After a while, she managed to muster some courage and move on. Her search led her in front of a metal door which was sealed and labeled as 'Experimentation Facility'. Asyrian stared at the impenetrable portal, wondering how she'd get through. She found it likely that Loric's friend was in there. It was her best guess and the sense of danger which made her want to leave this place as soon as possible was already turning her fingers and toes cold. She didn't want to waste more time wandering into hostile territory or thinking things too thoroughly.
She paced around but without getting the door out of her sight, her hands fidgeting. Her anxiety grew greater right when she heard someone head for her direction. She hid by walking through a nearby hall, which caused her to lose eye-contact with the door. She didn't want to risk being spotted so she trusted in her hearing to fathom what was happening. The sound of a heavily fortified door opening tore the air as it was dragged slowly, the noise loud and impossible to ignore as friction between the door and the floor increased. It quickly closed with turbulence before Asyrian could do anything. Even if it had been kept unlocked, opening it would be an audible act and she would be caught red-handed. She remained where she was, her mind racing to find a solution to this baneful position she and Clank were in.
Clank's sensors picked up the Unseen Destroyer's presence though he could barely receive the signal. He urgently needed to recharge. He had been working on his Time Bombs ceaselessly ever since he was acknowledged of Ratchet's potential death. He had only taken five with him after his departure from the Great Clock in order for them to be used in great emergencies. He had already used one at the Coliseum and another one had been seized by the other person in that very room so he had three left. Unable to process what the Unseen Destroyer had told him, be it a lie or not, he decided to take drastic measures in order to escape. This didn't mean he would follow logic and rationality like always. Emotions were something he had yet to fully comprehend and learn to control. He hoped his plan would work and that he would be out of this suffocating room in a matter of minutes.
"I won't show mercy on you this time" the landlord rawly announced.
"I could never expect you to" was Clank's reply, spoken in a somewhat cold manner.
"That's very wise of you" the figure said, taunt hidden behind his feigned compliment. "You see" he went on as he paced around where Clank stood. "Desiring something that's beyond your reach isn't noble. It's foolish. The Universe has already set its order of things. Isn't it foolish to try and change it?" he ceased walking and eyed the robot who had his optic lids narrowed in aggravation. "I know why you're here. You want Kaden's Armor." A brief laugh escaped him before he continued talking. "You believe the Grey Mages will help you? You're wasting your time" he spat disapprovingly. "You two wanted to change the right order of things. You deserved to be punished."
Clank's moment of realisation was reflected in his eyes. He stared at the landlord with wide optics. "You caused Ratchet to faint at the arena. To make it look like we disregarded the rules."
The Unseen Destroyer smiled, though due to the fact that he always covered his face with a hood it wasn't visible. Yet Clank could swear he had sensed the twisted satisfaction the malevolent landlord had felt because of this sinister revelation. "You and him committed hubris and so you had to be dealt with. Hard to realise that because of his foolishness, your friend caused the extinction of an entire race, eh? No more Lombaxes! Now it's your turn" the ruler declared, staring at the robot to catch any signs of sorrow or desperation so as to have his victory sealed. However, he abandoned this objective quickly and turned to one of the devices to switch it on.
Clank didn't waste any time wondering if the devices could indeed torture non-organics as well and threw one of his Time Bombs at his enemy. Instead of creating a sapphire sphere where time flowed more slowly than it should, the tiny orb exploded and sent the Unseen Destroyer to the ground. The landlord groaned, dazed and even a bit daunted. Clank smiled. His plan had worked; taking the example of the Great Clock into consideration when it almost lost its balance and destroyed itself, he had enhanced his bombs with nuclear power. Now not only did they temporarily slow down time but they also created a blast that could hurt enemies. He didn't allow himself to celebrate victory though and immediately ran for the door.
Once he reached it, he tried to make it budge but his small size made his efforts fruitless. He couldn't know if the door had been locked or not and he didn't in fact have the time to find out. He only tried his best to open it and escape. He glanced behind him and saw that the Unseen Destroyer was beginning to regain his senses, his vertigo receding. The effect of the peculiar orb had almost worn off. Clank panicked and started punching and kicking the door, his actions producing clangorous sounds. Afterwards, his sound receivers captured the sound of the landlord supporting himself on the operating device and slowly standing up. He thought the battle had been lost when the door suddenly opened with force, sending him a few feet away.
After he composed himself Clank faced a tall, female creature with snow-white fur. She looked downwards at him with an expression of alertness. "Come on!" she shot and gestured him to follow.
Clank did as he was told, barely avoiding the Unseen Destroyer's grasp. Asyrian jumped and moved backwards because of her astonishment. Clank sacrificed another Time Bomb to ascertain his escape's success. A light-blue explosion sent the landlord on the ground, the unwanted effects of dizziness and time manipulation taking over again. Asyrian rushed forward to shut the door and block it with a nearby piece of furniture, although she knew that if she expected it to stall the Unseen Destroyer she was merely fooling herself. However, rational thinking submerged at the face of danger. No words needed to be exchanged with her new acquaintance, only a look. They both ran away from the enraged ruler as fast as they could, Asyrian leading the way out of the building.
Much time elapsed them but it felt as if a sole second had passed since the Unseen Destroyer was blasted by blue light. Asyrian and Clank were walking the desert wastelands that had been touched by night's engulfing darkness. Clank was the first to disturb the moonlit quietness.
"I would not have escaped if you had not assisted me. Thank you" the robot said politely.
"Oh, it was nothing. Okay it was something, I was freaking out the entire time I was there. But I'm sure you'd do just fine with those cool bombs" the woman native to Zanimal responded.
Clank refrained from getting into details about the true nature and significance of the Time Bombs and went on to introduce himself. "My name is Clank."
"I'm Asyrian. I used to be a prisoner, like you and your friend" she had spoken with a lighthearted smile.
"My… friend" Clank murmured, disheartening thoughts leaving their traces on his face as he held a sullen expression.
"Don't trouble yourself, he'll be okay. My brother and Loric are at the Golden-Razor Jungle to bring him back as we speak" Asyrian reassured her new-found ally.
"You know Loric?" the robot asked startled.
"He helped my brother get me out of the Coliseum."
"What is the Golden-Razor Jungle?" Clank asked while curiosity flooded through him about the location's nature.
"It's where they send disobedient gladiators. Look, I'm sure all this seems confusing right now but let's get back home and I'll explain everything."
Clank decided to compromise and kept silent as his nighttime walk with Asyrian continued. He was a patient being and if it were for their safety, his answers could wait. Asyrian's words chased some of his anxiety away and he kept them in him as they headed away from his former prison. There was a high chance Ratchet was alive. And if this was true, he could allow himself to consider this a victory and find the strength to prove the Unseen Destroyer wrong; that he didn't have the authority to decide the fates of people and that the desire to change things wasn't hubris or foolishness. It was a power that had to be accompanied by nobility in order to allow a better world to be born. It was a virtue granted to few who had the courage to carry the weight of the Universe on their shoulders. Few perhaps like him. Few certainly like Ratchet.
A/N: I didn't mean to insult anyone's beliefs with Loric's statement about the chakras. It was there only for comedic effect. I just find it funny to display the contradiction between Ratchet's world and Loric's nature because those two simply don't match. I hope Loric's presence is more entertaining than annoying. I know most readers have a grudge against OCs, that's why Loric's not gonna be there for the entire story.
