Offing the Assembly Line
A/N: Sorry for the long wait, everyone. Hopefully, I should be more regularly going forward. Anyways, I own nothing of Ratchet & Clank; they belong to Insomniac.
"Lock and load, Rangers!" instructed Qwark, as their main ship, the Phoenix, emerged from warp over Quartu. "Suit up and rally in the aft airlock!"
Ratchet, Cora, Brax and Helga had all changed into their Protosuits and were standing in said airlock. Brax's suit was notably a mix of red and green-brown. Helga's was bright blue. Ratchet hoped to be able to try out these other colours later on.
"I politely propose that Ratchet and I should be the ones who lead the way inside," Clank offered. "After all, that factory is where I was created."
"Oh yeah, we should totally lead the charge!" Ratchet agreed, swinging his torso side to side and literally rattling Clank. "My chance to rip that factory a new one!"
"I actually think that makes sense," Elaris conceded. "The part about Clank leading the way inside, I mean."
"I dunno, seems like a lot of extra baggage for the frontal assault," chimed in Qwark. "I mean, no offence, but we're dropping straight into a cauldron. And do you know what's inside that cauldron?"
"Certain danger?" guessed Brax as he strode past.
"YES!" Qwark exclaimed, grabbing Ratchet, Clank and Elaris for a moment, but then he let go, his smile quickly turning upside down. "Yes, it's certain danger…" Rolling his eyes, Qwark activated his own helmet by pressing the antenna on his head.
"Let's roll," Brax insisted.
"Good luck, guys," Elaris wished them, as she stepped out of the airlock and closed the door behind them.
Qwark, Ratchet, Cora, Brax and Helga lined up in front of the hatch. The robots lined up behind them.
"Ah can't wait to blast that darn factory to pieces!" rasped a robot standing just behind Ratchet.
"But… what if Victor Von Ion is there?" whimpered another 'bot. "What if we get blasted out of the air before we land? Why are we even jumping, anyway? I'm scared of heights!"
"Pull yourself together, J8, or I'll give you something to really be scared of!" Cora threatened.
J8 promptly saluted. "Yes, ma'am!"
'We're nearing the drop point now!' Elaris' voice came over the intercom. 'Get ready to jump!'
The hatch opened, revealing dark blue and green clouds. Cold air and the sound of roaring wind rushed into the airlock.
"On the count of three!" Qwark declared. And then he jumped. "Three!"
"Go, go, go!" Cora cried, as she, Brax and Helga jumped after him.
J8 was still shaking. "Maybe I'll just stay here and help Elaris and-" Next thing he knew, he was being pushed forward by Ratchet, the other robots right behind them.
"Move, you yellow-bellied bucket of bolts!" the Lombax teased.
"Stop that! Ah'm afraid of heights and-WOOOOAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHH!" J8 shrieked in terror as they plunged into the cloudy abyss.
It was a feeling like nothing Ratchet had ever experienced. He'd heard much about HALO jumps plenty of times in all the stories he'd read and watched. But nothing compared to the real deal.
He'd expected it to feel similar to when he'd flown his Skyhopper through Metropolis, with the sensation of his stomach dropping. But this wasn't like that at all. Ratchet felt like he was flying; as if he'd turned into a giant, furry winged creature. His senses zoomed into overdrive - the roar of the wind in his ears through his helmet; the dark grey clouds surrounding them; the cold rush of the air against his body; the sting of it in his nostrils.
The intense cloud cover meant the ground was currently out of sight. But Ratchet didn't care.
'Keep up, rookie!' Cora's voice came over the com-link. 'Unless you don't have the moxie for these kinda jumps!'
"Oh, I'll show you moxie, Miss Expert!" Ratchet grinned. "You ready, pal?" he added to Clank.
Clank did not share Ratchet's enthusiasm about the whole thing. The rush of wind and feeling of weightlessness were making his circuits uncomfortable. "Well, I, um…"
Ratchet didn't wait for a proper reply. He just angled his body downward to increase his momentum and catch up with the others. The robots did likewise; except J8, who was flailing about and screaming.
Clank also cried out, though it was more out of disorientation than fright. Ratchet just whooped.
'Hey, rookie, can you do this?' dared Cora. She did a mid-air somersault, followed by a forward roll.
"Oh, watch me!" Ratchet chortled.
"Please don't, Ratchet!" begged Clank. "I-WARGH!"
"Don't be such a spoilsport, Clank!" Ratchet chided, as he imitated Cora's movements. He found it surprisingly easy.
Brax and Helga began doing their own freestyle movements, as they entered the clouds. Ratchet tried to copy them too, but the moisture fogging his visor made it difficult for him to know what they were doing.
"Ratchet, if you do not stop this at once, I will find a way to shock you!" Clank threatened.
Ratchet just scoffed as they burst from the clouds and headed towards the factory below. The facility was enormous, with machinery, structures and columns built all around it. Tall chimneys belched smoke dark into the air. Sentry-bots patrolled the perimeters, weapons at the ready.
'Looks like we'll have to split up,' suggested Qwark. 'Brax, Helga, you two and half the Units are with me! We'll draw the Sentries' attention.'
'Alright!'
'Wunderbar!'
'Aye-aye, sir!'
'Ratchet, Clank, Cora, you three and the rest go for the side!' Qwark continued. 'Clank will lead the way ahead, just as I decided. Maintain radio contact. Good luck, team!'
Ratchet looked at Cora, and saw his own frown reflected on the Markazian's face. Was Qwark trying to make things difficult for them?
Clank groaned. He could just see all the mediation he would have to do. Maybe he should have stayed with Elaris on the Phoenix…
Qwark and his team descended towards the front entrance. Ratchet and Cora angled themselves towards the side of the factory, and their squadron of Units followed.
They came to a segment of what appeared to be a broken bridge. Clank deployed his Heli-Pack to slow Ratchet's descent at about 10 metres from landing. Cora activated repulsors in her palms and heels, and the Units applied jet packs. They touched down safely.
"Okay, rookie," Cora began, looking at Ratchet, "listen. This is a very important mission, so I politely request that you allow me to take the lead on this one."
Ratchet folded his arms blithely. "Sure. But ya never know when I may overtake you."
"I hope I am not there when that happens," Clank sighed to himself.
"Okay, team," Cora declared to the Units. "Let's move."
A Versa-target floated above the gap between them and the next segment of the bridge remnants. Using their Swingshots (the Units had them built into their bodies), the team crossed the distance one-by-one. Cora went first, followed by Ratchet. While they waited for the Units to catch up, Ratchet spotted a Gadgetron vendor, and decided to purchase a new weapon to add to his arsenal.
The Proton Drum was now available for him. Moby popped up with a brief description that was exactly the same as what Qwark and the Help Desk had said during Ratchet's training.
"The Proton Drum is perfect for crowd control; a single orb knocks enemies back, allowing you more time to take them out with another weapon. You can even use it to give yourself space when people are giving you hassle!"
'I bet I'll need this with Cora likely giving me grief' Ratchet thought, as he paid 4,000 bolts. The Proton Drum materialised in his hands, and the Lombax did a few poses with it.
"Hmm, not bad," Cora acknowledged, "but I can do better. Come on, follow me." And she proceeded towards the next platform, which was just before the factory.
"Oh, we'll see about that," Ratchet grinned, as he followed, the Units right behind him.
The platform was crawling with small robots that sported large mouth full of sharp teeth and only two short legs each. Ratchet's HUD identified them as Chompers.
"Chompers!" Cora exclaimed, summoning her Pyrocitor. "Cover me, rookie!"
"How 'bout you cover me?" Ratchet countered, darting in front of her and firing his Proton Drum, just as the Chompers scampered towards them. The little biters were blasted back, some instantly blown apart due to being closest to the blast. Cora picked off more with a few short shots with her Ion Blasters before diving for cover behind a large crate beside her. The Units, having just caught up, also opened fire.
Ratchet whacked a Chomper hard with his wrench. The robot was sent flying off the platform.
Cora darted out again and summoned her Tesla Claw. A stream of electricity leapt from Chomper to Chomper, causing them to spasm and jerk around wildly, before exploding.
Ratchet darted past her, sweeping the last few Chompers aside with his wrench. He was making for the gap between this last platform and the factory floor itself.
"Umm, Ratchet, there is no VERSA-TARGET!" Clank's calm statement quickly became a shout when Ratchet took a flying leap off the platform. Instinctively, Clank activated his helicopter blades to propel them forwards. It just about worked; Ratchet was able to grab hold of the ledge and hoist himself and Clank up.
"You are seriously going to overload my sisterboard one of these days," Clank groaned.
Ratchet took no notice, activating the Versa-bridge to allow Cora and their Units to follow him. Cora threw a look at Ratchet, but said nothing specifically to him.
"Careful," she warned the team, as they neared the factory, and two Warbots lumbered into view. "Guards up ahead."
"Err, you guys take the lead; we'll, erm… cover your six," one Unit mumbled.
"Fine by me!" Ratchet accepted. "All the more Warbots for me!"
"Rookie, wait!" Cora cried. But Ratchet had already summoned his Bomb Glove, drawn a Bomb and thrown it at the nearest Warbot. It found its mark with a massive BOOM!
The Warbot staggered and fell over, surprised. The Bomb hadn't done much damage, but Ratchet hadn't intended it to do so. The second Warbot looked round at the explosion and primed its Blaster.
'Intruder-alert!' it droned ominously.
"Attack!" Cora declared with a sigh. She took cover behind a stack of large crates, took aim with her Blaster and opened fire. Ratchet, however, remained in the open.
As the Warbots took aim at him, Ratchet fired his Proton Drum again. The resultant shockwave knocked them off-balance. This allowed Ratchet to charge forward, leap forward and smash the nearest Warbot's head clean off its neck with his Wrench. Before he could deck the other 'Bot, however, Cora beat him to it, felling the Warbot with three Devastator rockets fired in quick succession.
"I had him!" Ratchet protested.
"You're not the only Ranger here, rookie," Cora reminded. Then, her blue eyes flickered upwards. "Heads up, we got some fliers!"
Ratchet looked where she was. Sure enough, several Warbots equipped with jetpacks were descending towards them. Just what they needed - flying Warbots!
"Units, get over here and cover us!" Cora ordered into her com-link.
"Y-yes, Lieutenant," the Units acknowledged, and they marched forward, their blasters primed.
As laser fire peppered the ground around him, Ratchet took evasive action, strafing side-to-side. He let loose with his Ion Blaster, but the shots did little damage. And the Proton Drum was more ideal for ground-based enemies.
'If only I had a Devastator, like Cora does' Ratchet thought, as the Markazian downed a Warbot with a rocket, before darting for cover again.
Unfortunately, a Devastator wasn't available for him at the moment. Sometimes, Gadgetron's policies were a pain!
Still, he had his Bomb Glove. That might be useful!
Performing a tuck-and-roll forward, Ratchet managed to get behind the nearest flying Warbot, and lobbed a Bomb at its jetpack. With a loud BANG, the Warbot was slammed face-first to the ground. A Unit quickly ran forward and blasted its head at point-blank range.
"Nice thinking, kid," he complimented.
"Thanks," replied Ratchet. "But don't call me kid," he added to himself.
Just then, a Blarg trooper came hurrying out of the factory. A mini gun turret appeared out of the ground, and the Blarg took aim with it.
"Mini-turret!" Ratchet called, cartwheeling to his left as the Blarg unleashed a stream of laser fire. Clank wailed as his world turned over and over and over several times. A Unit screamed in fear and pain as he was gunned down.
Ratchet's blood was up now. With Warbots shooting from the sky and gunfire from the ground, this was what he was born to do!
He drew his Ion Blaster and shot at the Blarg in the mini-turret. But the laser bursts bounced off a shield that was protecting the Blarg, even as it continued to fire at the Rangers. Two more Units were mowed down.
"Rookie, get out that turret, now!" demanded Cora.
"What d'you think I'm trying to do?!" Ratchet retorted. "And do you have to call me 'rookie'?"
Why couldn't Cora at least be a little more respectful after Eudora?
Deciding to forgo firearms, Ratchet again drew his Wrench, and strafed towards the Blarg. The Lombax made sure to close the distance as he went, choosing to ignore the sound and sight of a Warbot being blown apart. The Blarg, realising what Ratchet was doing, ramped up his rate of fire, a look of apprehension on his face.
The Blarg was right to be worried. The moment he was close enough, Ratchet leapt over the shield, his Wrench raised over his head for an overhead smash. The Blarg leapt away from the turret, leaving the seat to be smashed in instead.
As Ratchet straightened up, the Blarg quickly drew a Blaster. But he was too slow to prevent Ratchet from simply employing a Comet Strike. The Blarg was winded when the Wrench hit him in the stomach, leaving him open to Ratchet darting forwards and slamming his palm into his enemy's face, which blasted him into unconsciousness.
Turning back to the mini-turret, Ratchet knew what to do. Though its seat was buckled, the controls were intact. Grabbing the joysticks, Ratchet turned the cannons towards the flying Warbots, and squeezed the triggers.
"Oh yeah!" the Lombax crowed, as the Warbots exploded in mid-air, one by one. Bits of armour, nuts and bolts flew everywhere. One Unit was narrowly saved before a Warbot could crush his chassis with its fist.
In seconds, all that was left of the Warbots were spare parts. The Units cheered.
"That was awesome, kid!" "Good shot!" "Bless your motherboard, kid!"
Ratchet smirked.
"Not bad," Cora admitted, "for a rookie."
Ratchet's face fell. "I think that was downright swell. You were just ducking in and out of cover."
"At least it works," Cora retorted calmly. Before Ratchet could reply, the Markazian stepped towards the factory and looked it over. There was a doorway, but it was laser-shielded.
"Place looks pretty secure," she noted. "And there's no sign of a port I can use my Trespasser on."
"Reckon we could just blast our way in, ma'am?" proposed one of the Units.
"I'm game for that," Ratchet put in.
"That does seem like the quickest option," Cora conceded, "but I don't want to take any chances with Drek. There could be loads of traps installed. I think we should take this part carefully. Clank, you managed to escape here once. Any ideas on how we can get in?" she asked the small robot.
Clank disconnected from Ratchet's back. His optics scanned the side of the building too. They eventually settled on the air purification vents.
"Those vents were my means of escape," he stated. "Perhaps I can now use them to enter the factory and disable the laser shield from within."
"Huh, sounds like a plan," Ratchet commented. "Okay then, Clank, in you go."
Clank hopped up the crates stacked in front of the vent, and went inside.
"Watch yourself, Clank," Ratchet advised, a tad anxiously. "I don't want to have to fish you out of the scrapheap."
"I think I will be fine," Clank assured, as he began to make his way along the vent. Secretly, the diminutive robot was glad to be away from Ratchet and Cora for a little.
"Come in, Rangers," Clank announced into the com-link installed in his body by Elaris, as he entered the Factory Security Wing. "I am inside Drek Industries' ventilation system."
'Good work, cadet,' Qwark complimented. 'I wish I was in that vent with you. Curse these abnormally large muscles!'
'Zose muscles vill never be a curse, Qvark,' Helga giggled.
'Qwark's physique aside,' Elaris interjected, 'Clank, your schematics of the factory show a security terminal just north of your position. Shut it down, and the Rangers will be able to access the building.'
"Copy that, Elaris," Clank acknowledged. He came to a small door, next to which was a green button. Clank placed his hand on the button and pushed. It didn't budge.
"Odd," Clank wondered, giving the button another push, with no more success. Perhaps it needed a bit more force. He punched the button, and the door opened. "Hmm… okay, save to memory: punch the button."
In the next room, Clank saw a large pit of molten swarf - waste from the production line. On the other side, Clank could see his way onward. But how was he to get across? The pit was too wide for Clank to hover across with his Heli-Pack, and he was not risking anything.
Clank thought for a few moments. His optics then alighted on a robot, slightly smaller than he was, and notably with a similar-looking head. Its optics glowed yellow.
Clank decided to access his databanks. A moment later, a 3D rotating image of the 'bot appeared in his heads-up display.
'Gadgebots,' informed the Gadgetron Helpdesk. 'Small, versatile robots that can be programmed to do anything from follow you everywhere you go to giving your enemies a good wedgie. This particular Gadgebot is designed to extend into a bridge, produce a spring or power up a generator.'
"Hmm, looks like I have my way across," Clank decided. Triggering his antenna, the small robot essentially reached out with his mind. The Gadgebot's optics turned green, and its head turned to look at Clank.
"Form a bridge for me, please," Clank requested. With a nod of acknowledgment, the Gadgebot stepped up to the rim of the pit. Its top half extended across the gap on a long cord. Panels unfolded along the cord, forming a bridge. Clank hurried across.
On the other side, Clank found two generators, a closed door, and another swarf pit too wide to hover across. On the other side were two passages. One ended in a grill that Clank realised he'd be unable to punch through; the other was raised significantly higher.
There was a second Gadgebot right next to Clank. A third stood in front of the grill; a fourth on the raised passage. Clank thought for a few moments on what to do. Then, he made his decision.
Clank made the Gadgebot next to him extend into a bridge towards the grill. He programmed the second Gadgebot to come back over with him. The first was then reassigned to extend towards the raised passage.
"Form into a Spring-bot," Clank programmed the second Gadgebot, which strode up to the passage and produced a spring from its head. Clank jumped into the spring and flew up onto the passage.
"Follow me," Clank commanded, politely. The third Gadgebot came back over the bridge with him, followed by the Spring-bot.
"Form into a Power-bot," Clank issued. The two Gadgebots extended in height, sprouting antennae sparking with electricity. They stepped up to a generator each, and power began to flow. The door opened to reveal… a sphere floating over what looked like a more advanced version of Ratchet's Bomb Glove built into the floor.
"A bomb, hmm?" wondered Clank. "Guess there is always a time for blowing things up." He grabbed the Bomb, and then turned to the Gadgebot that had formed a bridge. "Extend towards the grill again."
The Gadgebot obliged. Clank ran across towards the grill and threw the bomb. BOOM! The grill was blown apart.
"All done," Clank smiled, and on he went.
In the next room, there was a large crate hanging from a ceiling conveyor. It was full of Chompers. Next to the crate was a platform with a control panel.
Assuming the Chompers would be no trouble, Clank hurried onward.
"Hold it right there, defect!" called a voice. "Special delivery from Chairman Drek!"
Zed had appeared on the upper platform. He pressed a button, and the hook holding up the crate disengaged. It fell to the floor and burst open. The Chompers swarmed out and advanced on Clank.
'Oh my' Clank thought. 'Looks like this situation calls for some melee combat.'
He punched the nearest Chomper. It flew through the air, knocking two others back. He delivered a good left hook to another Chomper, breaking off its mandible. He grabbed a third by its jaws and swung it into the remaining few. They were incapacitated immediately.
"That was impressive," Clank surmised.
"Aww bolts! That didn't work at all!" complained Zed. He quickly flew off towards the other side of the room, where a pair of conveyor belts were running. Clank pursued him.
Neither of the conveyor belts led anywhere, but Clank was able to divert right down another corridor, passing under a presser as it came up.
The next room was much larger than the last few. At one end were a circular conveyor belt and a series of pressers, separated by a partition. At the other was yet another swarf pit, on the other side of which was the door onward. Next to the door were a generator and a single Gadgebot. There was a second generator inside a cage room set into the wall on the right-hand side of the pit.
"Oh my," Clank exclaimed. "This looks a tad tricky."
"He, he," sniggered Zed's voice. "Let's see get past here!"
Zed was clearly trying to impede Clank's progress. Well, that little butler was in for a surprise.
'Everything going okay in there, Clank?' said Ratchet's voice over the radio.
"I am almost there," Clank replied. "But I have run into an obstacle. Drek's assistant Zed is attempting to keep me from reaching the security terminal."
'Understood,' replied Brax. 'Elaris, carpet bomb the factory with pyrocidic blast mines!'
'Yeah, bring on the blast mines!' cried Ratchet avidly.
'I think it's probably safer and less wasteful if we let Clank handle things,' Elaris ventured awkwardly.
"I would prefer that as well," Clank conceded. It was better to leave the factory intact for the time being. Once they had retrieved all they needed, then they could blow it up. Or perhaps turn it into something else; that way seemed more economical.
"Sisterboard, do not fail me now," Clank said to himself. He ran his optics carefully around the room. He saw a line of generators standing along the side of the conveyor belt nearest the partition. Each one lined up with one of the pressers on the other side. Perhaps those pressers led somewhere…
Clank turned his attention to a Gadgebot that stood beside the conveyor belt, no doubt awaiting commands.
"Convert into a Power-Bot and stand on the conveyor belt," Clank ordered. The Gadgebot obliged, and Clank hurried towards the pressers. As the Gadgebot passed the first generator, they linked with a stream of energy, and the first presser lifted up. When it reached the second generator, the second presser rose, while the first came back down. Clank ran under each presser as they went up one-by-one.
After running after the fifth presser, Clank looked to his left. At the end of a small hallway, behind a window, Zed glared at him.
"I'm warning you, defect!" he called. "Turn back now!"
"I am sorry, Zed," Clank replied calmly. "I am afraid I cannot do that. This mission is far too important for me to yield now."
"Alright, I guess we must do this the hard way!" Zed hissed. Next moment, a load of red crates suddenly dropped in front of Clank. Each crates had a glowing yellow light on each face. These lights began to beep faster and faster.
Clank knew what that meant. He backed away as quickly as he could, and jumped onto the nearest presser.
BOOM!
The crates exploded, nearly blowing Clank into the swarf pit.
"Close shave," he said to himself, as he proceeded down the hallway again. The explosion had left the walls and floor blackened, but otherwise undamaged. Zed had gone, perhaps to escape the explosion too. The window behind which he'd been had shattered. On the other side was a Gadgebot. On Clank's left was a small door with a button next to it. Clank punched the button and the door opened.
"Follow me," he commanded to the Gadgebot, which leapt through the broken window and followed him back into the larger room.
The first Gadgebot had just come back around on the conveyor belt. Clank commanded it to become a Bridge-bot and span the swarf pit leading onward. The moment the bridge extended, Clank hurried across. He then commanded the second Gadgebot to become a Power-bot to power the generator beside the door.
Clank pondered the second generator situated behind a grill on the right-hand side of the pit. A Power-bot needed to be right beside it to activate it.
He turned back to the Bridge-bot. "Retract the bridge, and move to the right-hand side, next to the cage," he commanded.
As the Bridge-bot moved into position, Clank ordered the third Gadgebot, which had been standing silent beside the door, to become a Power-bot. The moment the bridge was extended again, Clank instructed the Power-bot to use it to reach the second generator. A moment later, the door opened, allowing Clank to proceed onward.
Zed was on the other side. Panicking at the sight of Clank, he turned and fled through the door at the other end of the room.
"How are you so smart?" he cried over his shoulder. "Warbots are supposed to be simple-minded soldiers whose only thought is 'destroy Galactic Rangers!' Who upgraded you?!"
Clank didn't answer; mainly because he had no idea. It did seem odd that an intelligent but diminutive robot would come out of a factory where mindless, hulking Warbots were manufactured. And then, of course, there was the voice he'd heard when coming online…
'Good luck, my son!'
Clank still did not know who that voice belonged to. Maybe he should talk with Elaris the next chance he got…
The next room had three doorways: one straight ahead, with the other two at an angle on either side. In the middle of the room, there was another Bomb generator. A large metal crate stood on either side of it.
Zed stood on a higher platform next to the middle door.
"Okay, you want to fight?" he inquired. "How about fighting a REAL Warbot?!"
The door on the left opened, and a Warbot entered the room.
'Target acquired' it droned, priming its Blaster.
Clank grabbed the Bomb and dived behind the nearest crate. The Warbot's laser shots ricocheted off it, but Clank knew it was advancing, and would manoeuvre around the crate to get a clear shot. He had to act quickly.
He waited until he was sure the Warbot was close enough, judging by how loud its footsteps were. Then, he primed the Bomb and threw it over the top of the crate.
BOOM!
Bits of machinery flew past the crate, which meant the Bomb had found its target.
"Oh, you think it's that simple, eh?" Zed wondered irritably. "Alright, you asked for it!"
The door on the right side of the room opened to reveal a second Warbot, this one armed with a Pyrocitor.
Clank grabbed another Bomb as the Warbot began to wave the Pyrocitor from side to side in its advance towards him. Clank knew he had one shot at taking the 'bot out, or else, he would end up in the swarf pits. He ran a few mental calculations for a split second. Then, he leapt onto the metal crate on his right, took aim and threw the Bomb at the 'bot's faceplate. The head was blown clean off.
"What?!" Zed exclaimed.
The body swayed for a moment, and then tilted backwards with a creaking metal, landing with a thud that shook the room as much as had the Bomb explosions.
"Okay, how about TWO Warbots?!" Zed demanded, as the door leading straight onward now opened to reveal, as he had said, two Warbots. One was armed with a Devastator; the other carried a Tesla Claw.
"Oh my," Clank exclaimed. In some haste, he took another Bomb and threw it. But the Tesla-carrying 'bot destroyed the Bomb in mid-air.
"Ha-ha!" cried Zed, as Clank began to run around so as to avoid the rockets and bursts of lightning fired at him. "Wait 'til Victor sees I've destroyed you! Then I'll be Drek's top henchman! Perhaps he can have a go at stacking crates all day!"
Clank tried to observe how the 'bots were positioned as he ran. But before he could, he ran straight into a wall. The collision briefly scrambled his circuits and caused his optics to jump for a moment.
When his vision cleared, both Warbots were aiming straight at Clank, ready to fire.
"Not so tough, eh tough guy?" Zed taunted. The Warbots fired.
Clank threw up his arms in what he knew was a vain attempt to protect him, but what else could he do?
Clank waited a few seconds. His sensors told him that he was still functional and completely intact.
He looked up. The rocket and burst of lightning were still approaching him, but they were doing so very slowly. It was as if time itself had slowed to a crawl; yet Clank himself was not slowed down at all.
Clank was seriously tempted to ponder what had happened, but he resisted. He had to act now while he had the chance. Springing to his feet, the diminutive robot ran back to the Bomb generator, seized one, took careful aim and threw it. Then, he made a dash for the door leading onward.
Clank had just made it over the threshold when time around him returned to its original speed. The Bomb did not actually take out the Warbots, but it did send them sprawling to the floor. The Tesla Claw set out a burst of lightning that bounced around the room, before zapping the two 'bots.
"What the-?" wondered Zed in befuddlement, before Clank slammed his fist on the control panel that caused the door to slam shut behind him. For extra measure, Clank then punched the control panel, hoping it would buy him some more time.
"Hey! Come back there!" cried Zed from behind the door. "You can't do this! Do you see me breaking into YOUR lair and messing with YOUR things?!"
Clank ignored him and hurried on ahead.
In moments, he had reached the Central Security Room. Clank shut the door and punched the control panel for the door there too, just in case. He then hurried up to the terminal and began typing furiously.
"Open this door!" shouted Zed from the other side. "Heed my warning, defect! You and that terminal are the property of Drek Industries!"
Clank took no notice.
"Don't you dare execute any commands!" Zed demanded. Clank executed a command.
'Facility security grid disengaged,' announced the factory's PA system
"You executed a command!" Zed moaned. "How are you so smart?!"
Clank was still wondering that himself, but he chose not to process that thought for now.
"Come in, team," he announced into his com-link. "For those who may not have heard, I have disabled the security grid."
'Good work, pal,' replied Ratchet. 'Meet you back at the factory tarmac.'
Clank looked back at the door. "I do not think it will be possible, what with Zed literally at the door behind me." He turned his optics towards the ventilation system. "Rendezvous with me inside the factory."
"Okay, Clank," Ratchet acknowledged, as the ray shield blocking the doorway inside faded. "Just take care and be careful."
'I honestly think that is a statement much better suited for you, Ratchet,' answered Clank, with a superior-sounding chuckle.
Ratchet rolled his eyes. He liked that little 'bot, but man, for all his seriousness, Clank sure knew how to give a witty retort. That was meant to be Ratchet's thing.
"Okay, Units, rookie," announced Cora. "We're going in."
"Be on your guard and stay together," Ratchet added.
"Ya got it, kid," the Units acknowledged.
Cora cleared her throat. "I'm the senior Ranger here, Ratchet," she reminded firmly. "I give the orders, not you."
Ratchet shrugged. "Hey, from what I understand, I was granted a place that puts me above the Units, so I'm just doing my job. How else am I going to learn?"
"Don't overstep your bounds, rookie," warned Cora, as they made their way into the factory.
Ratchet half-expected an alarm to sound. His ears twitched at the very thought of a loud klaxon echoing through the corridors, especially within the various alcoves they passed.
But none came.
Maybe Clank took care of that too, Ratchet wondered to himself. Or maybe they realised that with the Rangers at their door, there was no point!
"Mah internal co-ordinate system indicates a right turn up ahead," Unit K90 informed.
"Hmm, my gut says this way, K90," Ratchet said, indicating left, his Blaster held at the ready.
"Glad you're getting in touch with your feelings, rookie," snorted Cora, her Pyrocitor primed, "but as your senior Ranger, I say we follow K90's advice and turn right. Or do you have a problem with that?" she added threateningly.
"If by 'that', you mean 'your attitude', definitely, lady," Ratchet muttered.
"What was that?!" Cora demanded indignantly.
"I rest my case," Ratchet replied simply.
Cora bonked Ratchet on the helmet with the butt of her Blaster. "You'll be on permanent rest if you don't watch it!"
"That's supposed to scare me?"
The Units glanced nervously at each other. This was getting uncomfortable.
"Erm, Lieutenant," chimed in E40, clearly trying to break up the approaching row, "does it strike you as odd that there was no alarm?"
"It is strange," Cora agreed. "Stay sharp, everyone!"
They reached the end of the corridor and turned down another. At the end of that corridor was a third, and then, a fourth. All of them were empty.
Ratchet was quivering now. If he didn't get something to shoot, he would be seriously tempted to fire a low-level shot at Cora or one of the Units. As soon as he thought that, though, he suddenly wondered whether doing so would be a bit harsh. Cora might be a pain in the tail hole, but she was still his fellow Ranger. And the Units had always been respectful to him thus far.
Ratchet's thoughts were pulled back to reality as his ears twitched at the sound of something moving nearby.
"Any of you guys hear that?" he asked the group.
"Ah sure heard somethin'," acknowledged Unit A19, "but Ah dunno what it could be."
"Engaging motion scan." Cora's visor glowed blue with a heads-up display.
"Engaging motion scan," Ratchet imitated hastily, and his visor did the same. Within seconds, red dots began to blip on his HUD.
"We're getting something," Cora noted.
'Yeah, me too,' confirmed Brax over the radio.
'Ve have company,' realised Helga. 'Und I doubt zey are friendly!'
The blips began to beep more rapidly. This company was closing in, and fast! Ratchet's heart accelerated. This was more like it.
"Behind us!" yelped one of the Units.
Ratchet and Cora whirled round. Sure enough, a swarm of small, flying robots was soaring towards them. All of them had the same disproportionately large, round head, uneven-sized blue eyes and protuberant lower jaw with sharp teeth. And all of them had shoulder-mounted cannons.
"Agents of Doom!" shouted Cora.
Agents of Doom, commissioned and patented by Gadgetron, were small robotic bodyguards that would protect whoever deployed them. And this lot had likely been deployed by Zed.
"Open fire!" Ratchet cheered, and let loose with his Ion Blaster. The Units did likewise with their arm cannons. The Agents swooped left and right, avoiding the shots, and responding with their own.
Blaster bolts ricocheted around the corridor. A few hit Ratchet. While his armour thankfully protected him from the worst of the bolts, the Lombax still felt as if he'd received punches to those areas. Ratchet gritted his teeth against the pain, as well as frustration as he watched two Units get cut down with laser fire.
"Err, you take 'em!" cried A19, darting behind Ratchet. The Lombax bristled. Use him as a Lombax shield, eh? A19 was getting a sharp dunking in water if they got out of this!
Then Cora, who was dancing about between the alcoves and the open corridor, firing a shot in-between each manoeuvre, stepped in front of Ratchet and drew her Tesla Claw. Lightning arced between Agents, making each one spasm, jerk and flail about before exploding.
"That's nothing!" Ratchet crowed, summoning his Proton Drum. "Watch this!"
"Wait!" cried Cora, but Ratchet had already fired. Alas, Ratchet had momentarily forgotten what the Proton Drum was best-suited for. The orb flew through the air, easily dodged by the Agents, and exploded harmlessly several feet away.
"Oh, nice job, rookie!" reprimanded Cora. But before she could get another shot with her Claw, it was blasted from her hand by an Agent. Cora cried out in pain, clutching at her hand. Ratchet instinctively darted in front of her and continued to fire at the Agents.
Whoa, he thought. I did it again. I sought to save Cora. Do I actually care about her? No, no way!
"Captain Qwark!" the Markazian shouted into her radio. "We're pinned down by Agents of Doom! We need to rendezvous and maximize our fire power!"
'Erm, not now, Lieutenant,' replied Qwark, 'I'm busy talking… I-I mean, interrogating Zed here! Where's Drek, you bucket of bolts?'
"Well, if you've got Zed, bring him with you!" Cora demanded, motioning for the Units and Ratchet to follow her as she began to sprint down the corridor. The Units were all too eager to follow. Ratchet seemed more content with just blasting Agents out of the air, until one Unit grabbed him by the arm and dragged him away.
'Oh, well, err, I-I would, but I've just got bushwhacked by Agents myself!' Qwark answered, rather awkwardly, it seemed. 'Back, you tiny fiends! Don't make me say it again! Okay, I'll say it again: back, you tiny fiends! Hold out strong, Lieutenant! I'll, erm, find you shortly! Qwark out!'
'I'm pinned down in the Assembly Hall!' Brax informed.
'Und I am dealing vith a whole horde of zese Schweinehunds in ze mess hall!' added Helga.
Ratchet winced as the electronic screams of Units getting gunned down reverberated through his helmet.
Cora groaned in frustration. Guess they'd have to fend for themselves. Ratchet wasn't bothered. Last thing he needed was someone else trying to show him up!
Ratchet alternated between his Ion Blaster and Proton Drum. He sent laser bolts and orbs flying behind them. Some of the bolts found their marks. The orbs didn't manage to hit the Agents, but the resultant releases of energy did shunt them into the walls, or into each other.
"Good shootin' kid!" A19 praised. But more Agents appeared in pursuit. "Ah, they're everywhere!"
"Keep moving!" Cora ordered, as they skidded around another corner.
Up ahead, Ratchet saw a doorway into an empty room. Inside was a computer console, sitting beneath what appeared to be several mechanical arms hanging from the ceiling
"In there!" Ratchet cried. Cora hurried over the threshold. The Units clanked in after her. Ratchet darted in himself, and fired at the door controls. Cora pulled her hand away to prevent her hand getting taken off by the bolt. The door closed with a bang, and they heard several metallic thuds as the Agents collided with it. The Units quickly shoved a couple of metal crates in front of the door, just in case.
"Hmm, nice shot," Cora noted. "Do that again, and I'll shoot you myself!"
"You know, I did just save our necks there," Ratchet reminded coldly.
"That wouldn't have been necessary if you hadn't cost me my Claw!" Cora retorted.
"Well, it's not my fault you let your guard down!" replied Ratchet, narrowing his eyes.
"Well, if you hadn't darted in front of me-!"
"Excuse me. I hope I have not interrupted anything… important."
The Lombax and Markazian looked up. Clank had just emerged from the air vent. He was frowning at the two Rangers.
"Why, no, of course not, Clank," Ratchet quipped snidely, his teeth clenched a little. "Just a pleasant talk between two fellow Rangers; like you do."
Clank shook his head. "I am seriously considering opting out of all future assignments in the field." He turned to the Units. "Are you lot alright? No severe damage?"
"A few laser shots and dents," A19 answered, "but nothing a little maintenance can't repair. We're used to it."
"That is good to know," said Clank.
Cora was looking around the room curiously. "What is this place?" she wondered. "Reckon this computer might have anything useful to us?"
"If I may?" Clank offered. He hurried over to the computer, jumped up onto the chair and began to type at the keyboard.
For a couple of minutes, the Rangers waited while Clank worked. Ratchet and Cora stared determinedly in different directions. Two of the Units trained their arm cannons at the door, from which a few bangs could be heard, as the Agents tried to force their way in.
"Hmm," Clank spoke up at last. "I think I have something."
"Yes?" Ratchet and Cora asked in unison, before throwing a quick glare at each other.
"It appears to be entries from Chairman Drek's diary," observed Clank.
"His diary?" Ratchet repeated. "Why would Drek keep a diary?"
"Some sources say it helps people keep track of your thoughts and allow you to express what is on your mind without worrying what other people might think of them," Clank rambled.
"Well, Drek's about to worry what we think!" Cora declared. "Clank, download his diary into your systems, and you and Elaris can examine them back on the ship." She activated her com-link again. "Qwark, Brax, Helga, what's your status?"
'I've shut down the assembly lines. Drek won't be getting any more bots outta here!' replied Brax, his voice a little strained. 'But I'm gonna need some Nanotech. Also, funny thing; the Agents just… stopped firing and fell back.'
'Ja, zame vith me,' noted Helga.
'I believe I have the answer,' replied Qwark. 'I managed to overpower my Agent foes, and I demanded Zed call off the rest, pronto!'
"Excellent!" said Cora. "Ask him where Drek is!"
'I… don't think I can,' replied Qwark. 'He's probably too distracted by how handsome I am. Perhaps you can get him to talk, Cora. This is more your area of know-how.'
Cora smiled. "It'll be my pleasure."
"Maybe I can-" Clank began.
"Sorry, Clank, not this time," Cora interrupted. "In the field, I'm calling the shots."
Clank shook his head as he began downloading Drek's diary entires. Why did he bother?
As the data came flooding in, however, something briefly caught Clank's attention: an 'Ultra-Mech program'…
'B-before you start in the, um, questioning,' came Zed's nervous voice over the radio, 'it's important you understand that I am faithful to my employer; even if he did order me back here without much back-up…'
"And so, that's when I learned I was lactose-intolerant," rambled Zed, as he dangled upside down in Cora's grip. The Markazian was holding him over the edge of a precipice outside the factory, threatening to drop the robot butler unless he spoke.
"Although I think the parakeet would've died anyway, because he was always flying into the window," Zed went on, "which, frankly, is…"
"When I said 'Talk', I meant 'tell us where Drek and his Deplanetizer are'," Cora snarled. "Now, out with it!"
"I-W would be more than h-happy to spill the electro-beans," Zed stammered, "but, unfortunately, I signed a legally binding, non-disclosure agreement."
"Well, newsflash, mother-bolter, I want to disclosure, now!" Cora demanded.
Clank opened his mouth to protest, but Ratchet covered it. He was enjoying this.
"Please," begged Zed, "this was just a temporary job, until I got my singing career on track."
Losing patience, Cora let go of Zed. For a split second, Zed seemed to fall in slow motion.
Then, Cora caught him again.
"Okay, okay, I'll talk!" sobbed Zed. "Drek and the Deplanetizer are at the Blarg Tactical Research Station! It's replaced this factory as his new headquarters!"
Cora smiled. "That's more like it." She turned to her team. "Well, looks like we have a legit reason to check out the station after all. We should get going." The Markazian then spoke into her radio. "Elaris, come pick us up. And get the pyrocidic blast mines ready to deploy!"
'Copy that, Cora!' acknowledged Elaris.
"There's more!" wailed Zed. "Captain Qwark-!"
"… Is awesome?" interjected Qwark. "Why, thank you for noticing. Now, not another word, unless it's more praise of me, of course!"
But as they watched the Phoenix come in to pick them up, Clank wondered what Zed had been about to say regarding Qwark. He too had heard the awkwardness in Qwark's voice when the Rangers had been taking on the Agents.
His concern about Qwark's honesty deepened considerably.