Ratchet and Clank: Wrath and Ruin

by saintandreas0612

Set months after the Dimensional Cataclysm, Ratchet and his friends are sent barrelling forth to a new and dangerous adventure. With the Dimensionator taken away, they must take unpleasant help in order to navigate a hazardous world where their new way forward can be found. Will they be able to overcome the quickly stacking obstacles and grim new enemies?

3. The Planet that Smelled of Flowers

Chapter 3: The Planet that Smelled of Flowers

Ratchet tugged at the hem of his Ruined hazmat suit, the rubbery fabric chafing on his fur. "Man, this thing is uncomfortable."

"I don't even want to think about what fighting in this thing is going to be like." Rivet wined, ears flopped down

Ratchet could do little more than grumble as he tried getting used to his new suit. Thankfully, the black, green and gold getup was surprisingly light for how sturdy some of the metal plates looked. And despite the fact there was a little bit of chafing, Ratchet could actually feel the suit adjusting to his body the more he tried articulating his limbs.

He was doing circles with his arms to try and adjust his suit's sleeves and bouncing his legs to adjust his pants. He noticed that Rivet was trying to do the same on her seat. It was then he remembered that Rivet had actually carved out the right sleeve of her suit, which caused her metal arm to be exposed. In addition, she had chosen to keep her scarf out, all this much to Segen's chagrin.

However, as a very uncourteous courtesy from Segen, her metal arm had been spray painted black, save for the little blue lights on her palm and fingers, to match the rest of the fabricated look. She had protested heavily against it, but was reassured the paint was not permanent. The problem was that the person who reassured her was Segen, who had disposed of the paint can before anyone could make sure it wasn't permanent paint.

The duo also had helmets to get used to, but both lombaxes had opted to keep those off until they actually got into an emergency. Their suits though, Segen had insisted with threats of sabotage and physical violence that they put them on. After completely ignoring the technician, the two heroes were talked into it by their robot companions.

Once changed and ready, Ratchet had let Rivet do the flying when they left Veldin. The rebel was more than happy to take up the driver's seat and Ratchet had no qualms about it.

He was now sitting shotgun beside Rivet, because as much as he wanted to sit in the back to chat with Clank and Kit, he decided it was better to not put Segen within Rivet's field of vision for too long.

After lift off, Segen had put in the coordinates to their new destination, the Ruined homeworld of Misericordia. It was relatively close by, only a few hours away from Veldin in fact.

Throughout the long, uneventful flight, Ratchet played back his memories of their latest fight in his mind. How he ran through that town square, weaving through countless attacks, sniping enemies from afar, all while Rivet disrupted their forces. But amidst all that, he remembered a particular moment more vividly than the rest.

At one point, he got jumped by a Slasher. Ratchet was quick enough to parry the swift blows and eventually bested the hooded enemy in melee combat. However, during that quick little duel, Ratchet had heard the Slasher say something to him. Or more accurately, he heard it call him something.

Itskalen. That word, he remembered having heard it before, it was the one word he remembered the Ruined using on several different occasions. Likely because they were spewing it with so much venom.

He didn't like the idea that was forming in his mind, but curiosity was nagging at him and there was still some time left before arriving at Misericordia.

"Hey Segen?"

"Hmmm?"

"What does its scaling, mean?"

Although he couldn't see his face due to his mask, Ratchet just felt the contempt coming off of Segen in waves.

"Itskalen," The technician pronounced slowly and with heavy emphasis. "And it translates loosely to; heretic."

"Oh," Ratchet uttered simply. "So you guys are those kinds of bad guys." He said, a lot of things suddenly making sense in his mind.

"Yes, the Ruined are a very… spiritual people."

"You know, the more I learn about you guys, the more you sound like a huge cult. First that whole business with the giant interdimensional monster you worship and now this?"

"We're not a cult." Segen snapped. "We're an Authoritarian Theocracy." He corrected with his arms crossed.

"What's the difference?" Rivet asked suddenly.

At this, Segen raised a finger but froze midway. He then lowered his finger, and then his whole arm, optics angled in a confused furrow as he stared at Aphelion's floor.

"...We have a budget." Was all Segen could muster.

Rivet scoffed proudly at the stumped technician.

"But what do you mean by 'loosely' translates?" Ratchet picked up.

"The actual meaning is a whole lot more offensive," Segen clarified. "We do that a lot actually. We have really, really mean versions of certain words. For example; gerlan is our word for jerk, but we also have merguil," Ratchet noticed Segen paused and shuddered slightly when he used that word. "Which means the same, just waaaaay worse. I've seen people beat each other to death just for being called that."

"Charming." Ratchet uttered slowly, admittedly unnerved.

After the exchange, Ratchet saw Clank tap Segen's shoulder. "Segen, may I ask you a question?"

"Of course, ask away." Segen invited.

"What can we expect to see once we reach Misericordia? Are there any particular dangers we should be aware of?"

Segen tapped a finger on his mask's filter, looking at the roof of Aphelion's cockpit as he did. "Well, I think the biggest issue is going to be just how many War Caste members are going to be there. Security in Misericordia is super tight." He explained. "And well, there's the Bishops to worry about."

"There's those guys again," Rivet interjected suddenly. "I heard a couple of townsfolk back at Veldin talk about them. They made them sound like some sort of monsters."

"That's not far from the truth." Segen replied, his demeanor sinking. "You'll see soon enough."

Ratchet noticed how the technician felt completely silent, which was uncharacteristic to say the least. Through the reflection of Aphelion's windshield he saw that Segen looked oddly crestfallen. He was about to comment on it but Segen slowly lifted his head, apparently having bounced back. Once he did, his expression changed completely.

"There it is." Segen said, using the necks of Ratchet and Rivet's seats to lean forward. "Misericordia."

Ratchet turned his head to see their destination.

Misericordia was a large planet. It was easily twice the size of Veldin at a minimum. It's terrain was colored a dark green, with what seemed like purple oceans splattering across the landmasses, and there were thick yellow clouds that covered huge swaths of the surface. All this gave the planet an outright sickly look, which Ratchet believed was fitting, considering its inhabitants.

Before he could keep taking in the planet's appearance, Ratchet was distracted by a loud beeping coming from Aphelion's console.

"Somebody's hailing us." Ratchet noted.

"Uh oh, I better take that." Segen suggested, leaning ever further ahead.

Segen then reached out and tapped the console and shortly after, a gruff, serious voice came through. "Felwas hak, alten niuk welej." The voice said in a commanding tone.

At this, Segen cleared his throat and spoke. "Uhhh, N-nixen rugimi! Ko sor ar, Segen!" The technician said, attempting to sound friendly. "Maku sor ko neresh?"

"Segen?" The voice on the intercom repeated. Then came a sound like a sputter, like someone trying to hold back laughter. "Ahhhh, lef, Segen! Nixen, ar rugim! Egu ib fuir ni!"

There then was the sound of distant laughter on the other end of the call, held-back laughter, as if the people laughing were trying to keep themselves from doing it.

"Hehehe, tur, ni wasi hel rax." The voice continued, having seemingly gotten it's subordinates to quiet down. "Sargomesh tirmen, halak."

At this, Segen turned towards Rivet and whispered. "The clearance code, now."

Rivet nodded before punching in the code. A few moments passed where the cockpit was kept in total silence. Ratchet bounced his knee anxiously. He couldn't see any ships nearby or any sort of defence for the planet, but the goosebumps he was getting made him feel like someone was watching very closely.

Eventually, the voice returned. "Sayu! Ni gitz bor!" The voice announced with satisfaction. "Telemen kuz… Segen. Pfffff, hahahahaha!" The entire end of the call burst out into roaring laughter, accompanied by the sounds of knee-slapping and breathless wheezing right before an abrupt end.

Ratchet was confused to say the least. He had a brow raised and his mouth was a thin, crooked line as he looked at the console. "Uhhh, what was all that about?"

He turned to see Segen glaring at the console, his grip on Aphelion's seats so tight Ratchet thought the fabric was going to tear.

"It's nothing." Segen stated, slowly retreating to his seat.

Taking Segen's tone and body language into account, Ratchet decided not to press the question. He instead took his gaze forward, at their rapidly approaching destination.

Aphelion kept a steady flight as it started to breach the planet's atmosphere, the yellow clouds quickly rising to shroud their vision.

Then, as soon as they arrived, the clouds passed, and the landscape beneath was unveiled.

An enormous city, brimming with lights and movement, stretched out for miles beneath the heroes. Streets flowed like rivers through the curving, asymmetric design of the city, buildings big and small rose from the ground, alight with bright blue lights which shone against the oppressive darkness that dominated the planet's sky.

Ratchet wasn't sure of whether or not it was nighttime or if Misericordia was just a naturally dark planet, but the gloomy purple and yellow sky looked like something out of a nightmare, and the lights from the buildings were the only sources of light that he could see other than a faint, distant luminescence near the horizon.

Regardless, it did not take long for his attention to be drawn to something else entirely.

At the heart of the city, stood an enormous pyramid made of glass. The structure was slender and stretched out toward the sky, with its peak pierced the clouds as the wind blew them by. All the roads beneath seemed to lead to this gargantuan structure, and its shadow split the city just as its tip split the sky.

"Woah." Ratchet whispered before he could catch himself.

"Yeah, woah." Rivet agreed, mouth slightly agape.

"You know," Segen spoke suddenly. "I've lived here for over twenty years, and even I have to admit; this sight never gets old."

If Ratchet hadn't been so caught up in being amazed by the sight before him, he would have been amazed at the fact that was probably the first thing he and Segen would have agreed on since they met.

00000000000000000000

After taking in the sight of the vast city, Ratchet saw how Rivet flew Aphelion into what Segen claimed was a port.

Once the ship was parked and steady, the group waited a moment before leaving.

Ratchet looked at the spherical crystal helmet he realized he would have to wear for his foreseeable future and let out a sigh before putting it on.

The sensation that hit Ratchet the very instant the hiss of the helmet being locked in place went off, was discomfort. The lombax's ears were too long and had to bend inwards to fit inside the helmet, which by itself was borderline painful. Additionally, Ratchet's entire field of vision was mildly obscured by the green tint of the helmet's glass. And to top it all off, there was the smell, that cursed smell of wilting flowers.

Ratchet turned to see Rivet already had her helmet on, and wasn't enjoying it any more than he was. The rebel was groaning and trying to readjust her helmet to no avail.

"This is gonna suck." Ratchet uttered hopelessly.

"Welcome to my life." Segen said with malice, snickering at the miserable lombaxes.

"Are you going to be okay?" Kit's voice came, the little robot fidgeting worriedly at her friends' discomfort.

"Oh, we'll be fine, Kit," Rivet assured her. "Just have to get used to this. And it's not like we're going to literally go around looking like backpacks, unlike you guys."

"Yes, it is rather fitting that after being compared to a backpack so often we would actually end up taking on the appearance of one."

"Indignant as it may be," Clank continued, pinching the gap between his eyes. "A hologuise is necessary for us to pass unnoticed if we are to remain at your side."

"Well, now that we're all suited up," Ratchet picked up, turning to face Segen. "What's our plan to get a Folding Drive?"

Segen drew in breath, readying to explain. "Okay, our best bet to find a Folding Drive is inside a Church's Vaults."

"How do we get into those?" Rivet asked suddenly.

"The Churches are extremely well defended, they are more like pseudo-military installations than actual churches," Segen explained, doing a circling motion with his hand. "Thankfully, there is a way for you to be allowed access through the front door."

Ratchet raised an interested brow at this revelation. "Really now? How's that?"

"The Ruined undergo a process called the Grafting Ceremony inside the Churches in order to become members of the War Caste. All you have to do is pass the War Caste training trials, qualify for the Ceremony, and then they'll let you pass through the gates. Once inside, I can guide you through the compound and tell you what all the passcodes for everything are. It'll be a piece of cake!"

"Alright, that actually sounds too easy," Rivet stepped in. "What's the catch?"

"The catch is you have to actually pass the Three Trials, which have a fifty percent mortality rate," Segen answered, lifting three fingers. "And the Regional Bishop will be overseeing you through all of it."

"Yeah, that's a catch alright," Ratchet thought to himself as he gulped.

"Okay," Ratchet breathed out his mouth, his breath clouding a bit of the crystal on his helmet. "So, where do we find this Bishop?"

"About that." Segen started, wincing slightly.

"What?"

"We have to wait a little bit."

"Why?" Rivet asked gruffly.

"Uh, well, Bishop Samson is a busy man," Segen said, sliping the bishop's name. "He's working at these hours and it's better if we don't dis-"

"Rivet, open the cockpit." Ratchet cut him off.

"Yep." The rebel obliged, the crystal canopy opening up shortly after.

"Hey wait a minute!" Segen yelled, eyes dashing between the lombaxes.

"Kit, Clank? Let's go."

"Sorry Segen, but we are in a bit of a hurry." Clank offered apologetically as he hopped onto Ratchet's back, prompting the lombax to stand up and leap out of the ship.

"What the- Oi!" Segen shouted angrily as he tried to reach out for the mobilizing heroes, only to have them slip past his grasp.

"Move it, Mr Roses." Rivet called, already moving away.

Ratchet scoffed amusedly at her before jogging to catch up, already having put quite a bit of distance between themselves and Aphelion.

Ratchet then gave his ship one last look, as if to make sure it was safe and sound. For a moment, he barely recognized the green and black ship decorated with golden accents. But regardless of the color, Aphelion's sleek frame was unmistakable, even though the most rigorous and extensive of paint jobs.

After this, Ratchet had to hold back a laugh when he saw Segen's enraged attempts to get out of the cockpit and catch up to them landed him face-first on the floor. However, once the technician peeled himself off the ground, he growled and started running after them.

At this, Ratchet tapped Rivet on the shoulder. "Hey uh, he actually looks really pissed."

Rivet glanced behind her and did a little jump. "Oh yeah, I think we should run."

Ratchet didn't need to be told twice. A second later, the two heroes broke into a sprint, heading towards the exit of the shadowy port. Ratchet could hear Segen screaming what he guessed were all manner of profanities at them. However, the sounds of the technician's curses eventually grew faint and distant, replaced by the sound of lombax's own breath and his boots pounding on the ground.

Not soon after, the heroes reached the exit and found themselves staring at the bustling streets of the city. The sight was familiar, yet different.

Ratchet could find motifs from all the other giant cities he had visited throughout his many adventures. The crowded streets, the looming shadows of tall buildings, the signs of all kinds of assorted shops and businesses. It was all there.

And yet, this city felt distinct somehow, as distinct as Megalopolis would have been from Nefarious City, or as it would have been from Meridian City.

The streets of this winding metropolis were lit not by artificial lights, but by bulbous, bioluminescent plants, contained within specially placed enclosures mounted on the walls of the streets. There were huge banners that hung overhead, crossing from one side of the street to the other, made up of different colors and intricate patterns. The buildings themselves seemed to be made of old metals, not rusty, but aged, matching the strangely rural look of the decorations, with gates and arches and pavilions and beautiful mural artistry.

As for the people, Ratchet was feeling something akin to whiplash, since black green or gold were nowhere to be found.

The people of Misericordia wore outfits of all colors, masks of all designs, and embellished themselves with all manner of accessories. Their hazmat suits were covered in great part by long scarves, hoods, robes, hats, coats, and even some pieces of jewelry.

Their gas masks, unlike those worn by the enemies Ratchet had faced, were designed to appear more friendly. Whereas the War Caste wore stiff, sturdy, sometimes outright intimidating masks, the ones worn by the common populus were expressive and decorated, boasting digital eyes and mouths to better express themselves, and some even wore see-through crystal helmets to show their entire faces.

Ratchet was stunned, the second time since he'd arrived on the planet. Not because he hadn't seen something like it before, he'd been to countless memorable places throughout his life, and was more than accustomed to the city sights. It was just that he didn't expect the home of the Ruined to be so… quaint.

"We should ask around for this Bishop Samson guy," Rivet spoke up, drawing Ratchet back to task. "Think anyone will be able to understand us?" She asked.

Ratchet turned to see Rivet, the sight of an opaque crystal sphere over her head still not natural in his mind. "That's actually a good question. But I think we should find out while we move, I can hear Segen getting closer." He said, pointing his thumb over his shoulder.

"Good call."

With that, the two lombaxes dove into the crowded streets.

Ratchet had to keep his eyes peeled and reflexes sharp, as the countless civilians moved in different directions at different speeds without pause and with dizzying fluidity. Some even carried bags or small carts of goods all while holding conversations, yet none of them ever so much as grazed each other.

Ratchet meanwhile had to put his acrobatics to the test as he tried to avoid the barreling bellies or swinging elbows of the civilians. Eventually though, Ratchet managed to make his way to a clearing, what he assumed was the entrance of a shop of some kind.

"Phew, that was intense."

"I agree, densely traversed streets can be very difficult to navigate." Clank commented.

The lombax let out a chuckle when he looked over his shoulder to see a small, brown backpack where Clank usually was. "You can say that again, backpack buddy."

Ratchet flinched but released another chuckle when he felt Clank sock him. His mood changed quickly however, when upon sweeping his current surroundings, he failed to spot Rivet.

A sense of worry threw a tight jab at Ratchet's chest when he realized they must have gotten split up in the chaos of the street.

"Rivet!?" He shouted into the street. "Rivet!?"

"-chet!?" He heard be faintly shouted back by a familiar voice. "Ratchet!"

"Follow my voice! I'm right here!"

Ratchet's hands were restless as he stood still, waiting for his friend to find her way, occasionally calling to her so she could orient herself. He released a relieved sigh when he saw Rivet emerge from the crowd, her telltale orange scarf acting almost as a beacon.

"Jeez, not even Nefarious City was that packed." The rebel remarked, dusting herself off.

"Don't scare me like that." He said, giving her a playful jab on the shoulder.

"Hey!" She complained, returning the jab.

"Ow!" He yelped.

The two shared a laugh at their roughhousing, rubbing their punched arms. It was difficult to tell whether she was as amused as he was, given her face, ears and tail were all concealed, but something told him she was smiling beneath her helmet.

Soon, Ratchet remembered they were at the entrance of a shop. He also remembered they had an objective to complete. So, focused once again, Ratchet decided to approach what seemed to be the owner of the shop, an alien sitting behind a tall bar.

He hesitated a bit before speaking, uncertain of whether or not he would even be able to communicate with the hazmat-wearing alien. Sooner rather than later, he raised a hand above his head to beckon to the shopkeeper. "Hey, excuse me?"

The alien, a creature with three eyes at the end of tentacles for a head, quickly spotted Ratchet and spoke with a femenine voice. "Nixen luil rugim. Lar gim ar ob nur ni?"

Ratchet had a tight smile beneath his helmet. "Aha, sorry, I don't speak that?"

At this, the female alien tilted her eyes, but seemed to do the equivalent of a smile. "Oh, sorry dear, are you new here?"

"Yes, just arrived today actually."

"Oh my, you must have come in from a recent conquest, huh?" The alien said with a compassionate tone. "Well don't worry, dear, we are very welcoming here in Misericordia. Everyone understands that you might be upset, but we're all willing to let bygones be bygones."

Ratchet's smile was taut from the awkwardness. There was a whole moving truck to unpack in there. "Heh, yeah, me too." He offered, putting his hands together and knitting his fingers. "But anyways, I was wondering, would you happen to know where I could find a… Bishop Samson?" He asked, integrating hand gestures for good measure.

The alien hummed. "Well, Bishop Samson is a very devoted man," She said knowingly. "And he likes to stick to his routine, so I'd bet he's at the Altar right now."

"And where is the Altar?"

"Oh well that's just down the street to the right," The alien replied. "Once you spot the green banners, just press on until you see a large gate. Bishop Samson should be on the other side."

"Green banners, large gate, got it! Thanks!" Ratchet exclaimed, giving the alien a grateful nod and wave.

"No problem!"

After the exchange, Ratchet headed toward the shop's exit, Rivet close behind. The duo then warmed up before diving into the hectic streets once again.

After closely avoiding several collisions and almost immediately losing sight of Rivet yet again, Ratchet kept his head high, searching for the green banners the shopkeeper had told him about.

After making his way down the street, Ratchet saw the mentioned banners hanging over the mouth of a breaking off alley. The banners were rimmed with gold, and a large black simbol stood at the center of each one. The simbol was oddly familiar and simple in design. If Ratchet were forced to come up with a description, he would say it looked like a biohazard sign superimposed over the outline of an hourglass, a vertical straight line splitting the whole thing down the middle.

He also noticed that the moving bystanders were giving this particular alley a very wide berth, creating a bubble where Ratchet could stand without worry of being bumped into.

Ratchet's ears flicked inside his helmet upon hearing Rivet catch up to him.

"Here it is," She said with a huff. "Ready to meet this Bishop Samson?"

"Whenever you are." He said with a smirk.

His smirk vanished when a loud sound reached his ears. "Ratchet!" The lombax heard someone scream, voice laced with anger. "Ratchet, you stale bread loaf! Where are you!?"

Ratchet turned around on instinct and saw Segen's horned head peering out from the moving crowd. The technician quickly noticed Ratchet, and started forging his way toward him, panting and with his optics angled in an enraged glare.

This made Ratchet spring into action. The lombax headed deep into the dark alley the green banners hung over. The deeper he went the darker it got, and the sounds of rapid echoing footfalls moved down the alley right alongside him.

Soon enough, Ratchet could see at the end of the alley a large metallic door, flanked by green light sources.

"Ratchet!" He heard Segen scream again, sounding much closer than before. "Don't you open that door!"

Ratchet didn't pay Segen any mind. He wanted to get this mess over with as fast as possible. If this Bishop Samson was upset that he and his friends barged in on him, then so be it. Ratchet's patience was very much spent with these interdimensional detours.

So, once Ratchet reached the heavy metal gate, he pushed it open with all his might, and entered the room ahead.

And then, when he lifted his head to see what awaited him, he saw someone be beheaded.

It was fast, barely fast enough for Ratchet to react to it. One moment, he saw a man crying on a chopping block, then next, he saw a heavy sword crash against the man's neck, splitting it from his shoulders with a wet smack.

He couldn't stand to watch. He averted his eyes almost on instinct.

He felt sick. His head started to spin and he had to prop his hands on his knees. The image of a head rolling down a stone ramp was seared into his mind.

Ratchet felt an arm snake tightly around his neck, and a heavy figure leaned against him. "I warned you," He heard a familiar voice whisper. "This is not a very good first impression, is it?"

Ratchet ripped himself out of Segen's grasp, roughly shoving the technician away. He saw that Segen stood between him and Rivet, giving the two a very disapproving look.

Ratchet then heard a scream, a scream of someone who'd just broken free from chains.

He whipped his head to the source of the scream, and there he saw an alien dressed in rags break free from the grasp of a Fishbowl.

The escapee then started running, running as fast as he could, seeing how his life depended on it. Ratchet saw various Ruined run after him, stepping on his heels.

The lombax felt his own body start to move on it's own, moving to reach for his weapon, moving to dash forward and save the helpless alien. But he felt something hold him back, an iron grip on his forearm.

He turned to see Segen, holding Rivet with a similar grip, shooting daggers at him. "If you do this now, we're dead. All of us." He hissed, looking at Ratchet but clearly speaking to both lombaxes.

Ratchet's response was delayed from having to put conscious effort into not shouting at the technician.

Which meant that before he could speak, Ratchet heard the Ruined soldiers cease their chase when a single word echoed through the Altar chamber. "Stop." A horrible voice commanded. "Let him figure it out."

The lombax's attention was pulled toward the man standing in the middle of the room beside the chopping block mounted on a stone platform.

The man had his back turned to Ratchet and an arm held halfheartedly above his head. The man wore an imposing armour, and held a long blade on his left hand. He seemed to be tracking the escapee with his gaze, yet wasn't moving, going as far as to sit down, while his order to not give chase remained standing.

Ratchet then returned his attention to the escapee. The alien, a fungoid by the look of him, was dashing wildly through the room, eyes shooting all over the place.

"You can't go anywhere, boy." The armored man said plainly. "The gates are sealed."

The escapee did not listen. He kept running, he eventually went for a gate on the wall to Ratchet's left. He pushed past a couple of Ruined and began pounding at the metal.

"And say you somehow left this room," The armored man continued, his grating, strident voice making Ratchet wince. "What would you do next? Without a suit, you stick out like a sore thumb around here, we'd find you and bring you right back."

The man's punches grew fainter, less frequent.

"You'd be out of breath, your hands would hurt from all that punching, your feet would hurt from all the running."

The punches stopped.

"At least this way it's painless. Quick and painless."

A low, watery weeping could be heard echo through the altar.

"Get back here, boy. Let's finish this."

A few moments passed where weeping continued before slowly receding into sniffling. Then, silence returned, and Ratchet could feel his heart break at the sight of the escapee slowly turn around from the gate, from his freedom, right back to the executioner.

The armored man stood up, gesturing for the fungoid to take his place. The escapee then leaned down slowly, placing his head on the chopping block's slot, sniffling and wiping away bitter tears.

"I am required to pray for you." The armored man said. "I take requests."

"You wouldn't know it." The fungoid spat, his voice a mix between anger and sadness.

"Try me."

The fungoid paused, pensive. He then drew a shaky breath. "Argesh, verse five." He asked, a voice so low only Ratchet's sensible ears could have heard it.

The executioner straightened out, before taking a breath. "And so he said onto me: My son, for all your faults and all your blunders, you could never get me to stop loving you. For all your failings are my own, and all your triumphs are as well. For we are blood, and we are family, and a family's love is everlasting."

The executioner recited the words without a stutter. Ratchet noticed the smallest sliver of peace come to the fungoid upon hearing the verse.

The executioner then raised his sword, measuring his stroke silently. "May the winds deliver you." He uttered.

The fungoid sniffled once again, his voice cracking. "I'm so sorry dad, I-"

The sword fell.

Ratchet couldn't look. He couldn't bear to see that again.

After a few moments, Ratchet heard a long, heavy sigh come from the executioner. "One hundred and seventy seven." He announced. "One hundred and seventy seven less heretics in the universe. Good job everyone, good job." He said as he wiped off the blood on his sword on the dead fungoid's back.

After cleaning his blade and kicking the fungoid's body off the chopping block, Bishop Samson started to descend from the stone platform.

The bishop was a towering, well-built man, standing tall over all of the other Ruined present. He wore a thick mane of shiny black and red feathers around his neck. His mask was long and tapered like a bird's beak. It had purple circular lenses to see through and long symmetric lines running though its golden visage. His sturdy black, red and gold armor covered most of his body save for spots where a plated purple hazmat suit could be seen, its colors much more rich and vibrant than those of other Ruined. The armor also bore a shiny purple jewel on its breast plate, like a perfectly smooth amethyst. The tips of the bishop's gauntlets were also red, making them seem like they were drenched in blood.

But what struck Ratchet the most about the bishop's appearance, was the leather top hat he was wearing. It was weathered and dainty, and it made Ratchet want to smack it off the bishop's head.

"Well, you've certainly made this harder for yourselves, huh?" Segen's voice whispered spitefully in Ratchet's ear. "That's the guy who's boots you have to lick from now on." He hissed, pointing at Samson.

Before Ratchet could express his utter disgust, he noticed that the bishop had just laid eyes on them from across the room. He squinted and leaned forward. "Segen?" He called. "Segen, is that you?"

The technician stood straight and grabbed both lombaxes by their arms. "Okay, I'll do the talking." He instructed as he started dragging them along. "Don't do or say anything unless he tells you to and be very careful with your words or he'll put all of us on that chopping block, understand?"

Ratchet did not even grumble. His eyes were fixed on Samson, his focus entirely dedicated to keeping his loathing at bay and repressing the urge to shoot the man.

The trio soon stood before the armored bishop. Ratchet's neck hurt from how high he had to tilt his head to meet Samson's eyes.

"Ah, it is you." The bishop said, sounding oddly disappointed. "I thought you were dead."

Segen forced out a laugh at that. "Hah, no, I'm still alive."

"Hmmmm." Samson produced with a fleeting nod, barely acknowledging. His eyes then shifted to the camouflaged lombaxes. "Who are these?" He asked, using his sword to point to the heroes.

"Oh, these-" Segen put a hand on Ratchet's shoulder. "-These are some new recruits who are looking to join up! They were uncertain for a while, but after I gave them a little nudge, they got the courage to enlist!"

Samson tilted his head and looked at Segen as if he had suddenly grown a second head. "You… scouted out new recruits?" He asked slowly. "You… did something useful? For once?"

Segen forced out another laugh, this one much more noticeably forced than the last. "I'm a technician sir, I've always been us-"

"Segen," The bishop cut off loudly, raising a hand. "Don't ruin this for me."

The technician felt quiet. Ratchet could tell there was obviously something off about that relationship, but couldn't give it any thought, since Samson was now talking to him directly.

"Well, where are you two from?"

Ratchet felt a quick tap on his hand, a graze on his fingers coming from Rivet. He knew what that meant.

"We're new around here, recent conquest." Rivet led, sounding surprisingly calm.

"Recent, ey? You wouldn't happen to be from Sargasso, right? Because we turned that planet to glass a week ago."

Ratchet didn't get a cue, but when he heard Rivet's hands slowly clench, he knew he had to take over. "Yeah, we are, but we had plans to move out of there anyways. You guys saved us some time." Ratchet said, pulling off the conversationalist tone he wanted, despite the burning in his chest.

"Well, color me impressed!" Samson said, nodding at them. "You certainly took the ravaging of your home better than most. We don't usually see recruits form conquered worlds until half a year or so after conquest. But hey, we aren't about to turn you away. We can always do with new recruits. I assume Segen here has run you through the, heh, requirements to join?"

"He gave us the gist of it, yeah."

"Good, good." Samson said, nodding lightly. "In that case, I'll see you here this time tomorrow for the beginning of the trials."

Ratchet couldn't stop himself from asking. "We have to wait until tomorrow?"

Samson chuckled. "I like the spirit," He said, pointing his sword at Ratchet. "But I'm busy right now. I have a Grafting Ceremony to attend to, and I have to deal with a bunch of paperwork regarding some lombaxes that popped up in Veldin."

Ratchet twitched at that. He had a feeling Segen would be right about that business at Veldin eventually coming back to bite them.

"Oh really?" Segen asked, sounding awfully smug, as if driving home a point. "Lombaxes popped up in Veldin?"

"Yeah, those pests beat an entire battalion of my troops." Samson replied. "Haven't heard of them since, but we managed to get a pretty good description of them." Upon saying this, his eyes seemed to land on Rivet, narrowing considerably. Ratchet felt a chill go up his spine. "In fact… one of them was said to have a metal arm."

Blood started draining from Ratchet's face when he saw Samson use his sword to lift Rivet's right arm, as if to inspect it. The bishop was eerily silent as he looked at the robotic limb.

But then, Samson spoke again. "Nah, they told me it was a yellow arm. This one's black." He said, pulling his sword back, causing Rivet's arm to fall to her side. The rebel rubbed her arms feverishly, posture falling.

"And I recognize the shade and shimmer of that paint," Samson stated, pointing at the arm with his free hand. "That's what they use to coat the insides of blast furnaces, that's permanent, that's never coming off."

Ratchet saw how Rivet turned towards Segen, who was looking up at the sky while he whistled and twiddled his thumbs.

"I doubt the lombax would tarnish such a precious item in such a way, she seemed very… attached to it, hehehe." Samson laughed at his own joke, that being the only reaction it got.

Having noticed this, the bishop cleared his throat. "Anyways, I seem to have gotten carried away. I have to go now." He said, sheathing his huge sword. "I'll be looking forward to your performance tomorrow. Don't disappoint me… or do, I can always use an excuse to electro-lash Segen." He tacked on with a shrug and chuckle.

With that, Samson turned heel and walked away, heading for a distant door and leaving the group by themselves, the Altar devoid of any other people.

Once he made sure the coast was clear, Ratchet let out a heavy exhale and propped himself on his knees, breathing hard.

"Ratchet, I am detecting you are suffering from dangerous levels of stress," Clank's voice announced. "You need to breathe." He said, in a firm yet caring way.

Ratchet closed his eyes and focused. He breathed in through his nose, held, and exhaled out his mouth. Inhaled, held, exhaled. He repeated the process a few times until he could think straight.

After a beat passed, Ratchet stood up and shook his head.

"You okay?" He heard Rivet call.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Ratchet replied, hanging his head low, subconsciously avoiding the sight of the chopping block behind him.

A sigh then reached his ears. He turned to see Segen had his hands on his hips, eyes fixed on the ground. "Okay, that was… a demanding experience." He said, clicking his tongue. "How about we go to my place so you can get some rest and clear your head? Maybe talk through the plan a bit better."

Ratchet was far too tired to refuse the technician, the idea of decent rest actually sounded very appealing right about now. So, after slowly returning to the gate they entered though, the group walked out through the alley and onto the street.

As they stood within the bubble that preceded the alley's mouth, Ratchet heard Segen wind up. "Okay, just follow me, my place is not that far from here." With that, the technician started to head into the flowing crowd.

Ratchet noticed that Rivet was already going after Segen.

He found his hand shot forth, grabbing onto Rivet's metal hand. He was as surprised as she seemed to be, having flipped back around to look at him.

"Uhhh, I just thought, we should stick close, you know, so we don't get split up again."

Rivet stood still for a moment, before giving his hand a little squeeze.

The rebel scoffed goodnaturedly. "Sure thing, hotshot."

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The group had traveled through the streets of the Ruined city. Segen eventually led them to a tall building. They went inside and entered an elevator which Segen configured to take them to the highest floor on the panel.

"You live on the top floor?" Ratchet asked.

"I like the view. And I don't have to deal with people bangging on my roof."

Satisfied with the technician's explanation, Ratchet fell silent just as the elevator opened up. The group emptied out into a hallway and followed Segen until they reached the very end. The technician then unlocked the door that stood there and swung it open.

"Welcome," Segen said as he stepped into his home. "To my humble abode."

As Ratchet stepped into the apartment, he found himself silently judging the place. The condition of the apartment could be described as controlled chaos. While everything seemed to be clean and neatly organized on a surface level, Ratchet noticed that there were boxes scattered through the premises, each one stuffed to the brim with all kinds of assorted items.

Other than that, the place was relatively homely. There was a large living room with seats, a table and a sizable television, and even what appeared to be a black fridge. There was a balcony that overlooked the cityscape beneath and there was a hallway that led to other rooms.

"While we're in here, feel free to take your helmets off," Segen declared. "Just remember to put them back on before you leave. I don't want people knowing I'm harboring criminals."

Ratchet immediately took his hands to his helmet, eagerly removing it. He exhaled and his eyes rolled back as relief washed over him. He then heard Rivet do the same, shaking her head before tenderly touching her ears.

Then, Segen clapped his hands. "Alright, so; The Three Trials."

"What are we looking at?" Rivet asked, crossing her arms.

"Well the trials all take place in the same place; The Maze of Kamul."

"Let me guess, it's one of those mazes that shifts and reorganizes itself, right?"

"Kinda, yeah. The trials will consist of you having to cross three different configurations of the Maze, each more difficult than the last. There will of course be several extra obstacles, and you'll be timed."

"Okay, any tips?" Ratchet asked.

"Only to be careful around the Casters." The technician replied. "They are the 'other team', sort to speak. They'll try to stop you from reaching the finish line. They usually just go for knockouts or flesh wounds, but if you piss them off, they are allowed to go all out and try to kill you. Oh, I should also mention, you're only allowed to bring a single weapon into the Maze, so those huge arsenals you have? You're going to have to pick a favorite."

Ratchet grimaced at the information. "This might actually be tough." He thought to himself. "Can we at least fight as a team?"

"There's nothing that says you can't."

"Alright." The yellow lombax breathed in relief. "So we pass these trials, then what? We just go straight to the Church?"

"Yes, once you pass the trials, you'll be allowed passage to the Church. Once there, I can just take you to the-"

Segen froze, trailing off. The technician raised a hand, index finger outstretched. "Ah, right." He said, balling up his hand. "We have a problem."

Ratchet could feel the heachache coming. "What kind of problem?" He asked anxiously.

"They uh, they… remodeled the Church." Segen muttered, avoiding eye contact. "I don't know where anything is, or what the passwords are."

Ratchet blinked once, then twice, then thrice. His brian was not coping with what he heard.

"What!?" He shouted, in perfect sync with Rivet no less.

"Looklooklook!" Segen shouted back in a panic, putting his hands up defensively. "I don't know any of that information, but I know where to get it." He offered, tilting his head and lowering his arms beneath shoulder level. "Look, the map for the Church can be found in the Undercity."

"The Undercity?" Kit's curious voice came as she and Clank hopped off their companions' backs.

"Big underground place, you can find anything in there." Segen elaborated. "You guys look like you have experience with those sorts of things. Ever put a RYNO holocard deck together? It's basically that."

Ratchet pinched the bridge of his nose. "And the passwords?"

"That," Segen pointed at him, "Will be a little tougher. The fastest way to get them would be to beat them out of an Acolyte." He said, regretting the idea even as he said it.

"What's an Acolyte?" Rivet asked, giving Segen a narrow stare.

"Bishop in training." He deadpanned. "Our strongest warriors bar true bishops. I've seen one kill twelve people in seven seconds with his bare hands. B-But, But you guys will be fiiiiine!" He said, waving at them dismissively. "You've defeated… what's-his-name? Notorious?"

"Nefarious." The four heroes corrected in unison.

"Right, Nefarious." Segen repeated. "Well you beat him, an itty bitty Acolyte should be no problem for you big shot trans-universal heroes, right?"

Ratchet threw a very displeased look at Segen, but decided to keep focused. "How will we even get these things in time? What about the trials?"

"Ah that's the thing," Segen snapped his fingers at him. "You can only do one trial a day. Too much strain on the maze and Casters." He explained. "That means we have three days, one for each trial, before you actually have to go to the Church."

The clarification did help Ratchet calm down a little, his previously tense ears and tail relaxed ever so slightly.

"So, the plan's gonna be; You guys do the trials during the day, and search for the other stuff at night. Then, three days from now, we'll be ready to go into the Church, get the Folding Drive and split! Easy peasy!"

Segen's optimism would have been admirable, had it not been used to cover up his own oversight.

Ratchet was beat, and the upcoming days promised to be very demanding, so he just wanted to get some rest and regain some strength. And as if on cue, a yawn forced itself out of his mouth.

"Do you have anywhere for us to sleep?" Ratchet asked, rubbing his tired eyes. He had considered the seats in the living room, but upon closer inspection, they seemed extremely stiff and plain.

"Well, you can sleep on my bed." Segen offered casually.

Ratchet almost choked on his own spit.

"Calm down, virgin spirit," Segen spat. "I'm used to sleeping on the floor. You can use my bed while I sleep on my nice, carpeted floors." He said, kneeling down to pat the intricate patterned carpet that covered his apartment's floor. "Unless you'd like it the other way around?"

The bizarre proposition left Ratchet with a slew of questions he figured were better left unanswered, so he chose to ask a simpler one. "Where's your bed?" He inquired, cringing as the words left his mouth.

"Down the hall." Segen replied, pointing at the door in question. "Don't wander."

"I'm actually kinda hungry," Rivet commented. "You have anything to eat in that fridge?"

"I could also go for some food actually." Ratchet added, gripping his stomach.

Segen gave them a nod before walking over to his fridge. He opened its lid and peered inside, rummaging through the contents.

"Do you guys like sweet, spicy, salty, savory, sour, or bitter?" Segen asked out loud.

Ratchet's nose and forehead scrunched up in confusion. "Uhhhhh, savory?"

He turned to Rivet, who shrugged and shook her head before answering. "Sweet?"

"Alright, savory and sweet," Segen repeated, taking out several items out of the fridge.

The technician pulled out what looked like a test tube rack. He then set it up on the table and closed his fridge. Ratchet watched as Segen took two vials of orange liquid and dropped a few drops of green liquid into one, while he dropped the same amount of a pink liquid into the other. Both orange glasses were then shaken vigorously before having their contents emptied into two injector pens.

Segen then stored his test tube rack back in his fridge and walked up to the two lombaxes, giving each one a specific pen. "Here you go."

Ratchet looked at the blue pen in his hand, and then at Segen. "What is this?"

"Nourishment," Segen said simply as he slid the screen off his gauntlet and flicked his wrist, ejecting an empty glass tube. "Hydration," He stuffed the tube in his pocket and extracted another one, filled with orange fluid. "And symptom suppression, all rolled up into one," He said with pizzazz as he slotted the tube and slid the screen of his gauntlet back over it. "The lifeblood of all the Ruined, produced right here on Misericordia's Vertical Forests."

Ratchet saw how Segen extended his arms in showmanship, angling his body so that he was pointing one arm toward the balcony, and thus, at the colossal glass pyramid that could be seen through it.

"That's what that thing is!?" Ratchet said in amazement, forgetting the item in his hand.

"Yup, cool right? And that's where that little thing in your hand came from."

"But wait, you guys live off of this?" Rivet asked in a dumbfounded tone. "You just inject sustenance into yourselves? You don't eat or drink anything, ever?"

"Yup. See, our suits aren't designed to be removed at our leisure." Segen said with no shortage of pettiness.

"That sounds sad."

"Oh it is, you just have to get used to it."

Ratchet looked at the pen once again. He frowned before injecting it into his arm through his suit. He flinched at the prick but didn't make much of it. He then returned his pen to Segen, who had already taken Rivet's.

Then, Ratchet stuck out his tongue and smacked his lips. He felt a strange sensation in his mouth, a foreign taste tingling in his tongue.

Segen seemed to notice this. "That's the flavoring, it tricks your brain into thinking you've actually eaten and drinked something instead of just shooting yourself up."

"It's like all the sweet things I've eaten in my life, but also none of them." Rivet commented, apparently trying to swallow the sensation away.

"Yeah, that's how it works. They emulate the general taste, taking from things you've actually eaten, and mashes all of them together. There are specific flavors out there, like pizza or ice cream, but those are more expensive and you guys aren't worth it."

"Gee, thanks." Ratchet said sarcastically.

"You're welcome."

He let out a sad sigh, he knew he was going to miss being able to eat and drink actual food.

So, he opted to just call it a day and headed down the hallway toward Segen's room. He stopped however, when the closer he got to the door, the louder Segen's calls for him got.

"Ratchet. Ratchet, Ratchet!"

"What!?"

"Don't. Wander." Segen said with severity, pointing an accusing finger at the lombax.

Ratchet just rolled his eyes annoyedly and opened the door.

The bedroom matched the rest of the technician's home in terms of look and feel. However, when Ratchet's eyes landed on the bed, he felt the bothersome shock of someone who had just been pranked. He was hard pressed to call it a bed, since it looked more like a textured stone slab.

"Segen! What is this!?" Ratchet yelled.

"What!?" The technician shouted back when he entered the room.

"I can't sleep in that, look at it!"

"What!? It's a perfectly good bed! This is actually a high-end thing, I put a lot of extra money into it!"

"This, is high-end!?"

"It sure is! It's actually really good for your back!" Segen stated, getting on the cold stone slab and laying down on it. "It even has little gaps and bumps to align your spine better!"

Ratchet brought his palms to his face and groaned. "Okay, do you have anything else? Like an extendable mattress? A softer couch?"

Segen got up from his bed and tapped a finger on his mask's filter. "I might have something. Wait here." At that, Segen dashed off to what Ratchet assumed was some sort of closet.

The technician then huffed in satisfaction when he found what he had been searching for. He then turned to Ratchet and presented it to him.

Ratchet took hold of what Segen had given him, unable to make out the shape of it. "What is this?"

"It's a b- ahhh, sleeping bag." Segen replied, eyes flickering to the side.

"Why is it made out of plastic?"

"Well that's actually because-"

"And why does it have a label that says; Name, signature and next of kin?"

"..."

"This is a body bag isn't it?"

"Yes it's a body bag!" Segen said in exasperated defeat. "But it's actually really cozy! Consider this; Body bags are meant to keep whatever is inside warm and clean. And, since it's fitted for me-" He put a hand on his chest. "-You actually have a lot of wiggle room in there!"

"You have to be kidding me." Ratchet growled.

"You know, you're being very ungrateful right now." Segen said with indignation, crossing his arms over his chest and frowning at Ratchet. "I welcome you into my home, I offer you my expensive bed, I offer you my carpeted floors, I offer you my military-issue body bag-"

"Alright, alright, I get it!" Ratchet cut him off before leaving the room.

"Where are you going?" Segen asked loudly.

Ratchet didn't respond, he just kept moving.

"Can I at least have my body bag back?"

Ratchet tossed the bag over his shoulder, hearing a short, pained "Ow." from Segen when he did.

The yellow lombax then stepped out onto the balcony and used the railing to hop onto the roof above.

The roof of Segen's building was slanted and curving, made of smooth polished tiles that created little grooves. It was sturdy and had enough friction to have Ratchet lay down with his hands behind his head.

He looked up at the sky above him, noting how different it was to what he was used to. He had hoped to get some of that stargazing nostalgia from when he used to lay on the roof of his home on Veldin. But the fact that the blasted smell of withering flowers had not stopped hounding him, even after taking his helmet off, combined with those sickly yellow clouds swirling against a starless, dark purple sky made him feel like he was having a bad dream rather than reliving a pleasant memory.

"Hey." He heard a familiar voice call.

Still laying down, he moved his head to see Rivet climb up onto the roof. "Hey." He said with a small smile.

Rivet let out a sigh as she laid down, a groove apart from Ratchet, and arranged something on which she rested her head, leaving her arms free to lay over the chest.

"Did you actually take his body bag?" Ratchet asked with a chuckle.

"Yep, makes a decent pillow."

"Heh, I wish I had thought of that. I think this might actually be a little worse than that prison bunk he calls a bed."

Rivet giggled, turning her head to face him. "You know, we could share it, if you want." She offered with raised brow, patting the space beside her.

Ratchet felt his breath hitch at the suggestion, heat manifesting in his cheeks.

He was about to answer, but something held him back, a painful twinge in his heart. He wasn't ready. And even as he saw the white lombax's expression slowly shift from a playful smirk to a downcast frown, he couldn't bring himself to accept. He wasn't ready.

"Nah, I'm… I'm fine. Thanks." He said, returning his eyes to the sky, unable to hold her gaze.

Ratchet exhaled through his nose as he closed his eyes shut. Tired as he was, sleep took no time at all to find him, something he was grateful for.

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