NOTES:
If you want a better-formated version of this story,
some of the chapters of which will contain pictures and illustrations of certain scenes,
head over to Archive of Our Own!
[ /works/35908834/chapters/89535235]
Club Esoteric
Chapter Summary
Ratchet, Clank, Rivet, and Kit arrive in Corson V to find Zedderek and bring him back to the Phoenix for questioning. Upon reaching Club Esoteric, they find that a delay in the former scientist-turned-DJ's schedule will give the two Lombaxes some time to kill.
Ratchet is met by an old friend and soon after learns more of Tachyon's intentions for seeking after Zedderek. Meanwhile Rivet gets into a small, 'friendly' competition that results in her acquiring something of apparent high-value... and which also results in a very awkward situation for Ratchet.
"Hey, everything all right, hotshot?"
"Wha-?"
Ratchet blinked and looked around. He had been staring out of the window for nearly half an hour in complete silence, watching the stars and the planets zoom by as the stolen imperial starship hurdled through space, lost in thought.
"Yeah, I'm good; just a lot on the mind these days, y'know." Replied Ratchet with a modest shrug. If that wasn't the understatement of the year…
That morning, Clank had woken to the sound of the morning alarm and leapt down from his bunk, feeling refreshed and charged for a new day. The same could not however be said for the male Lombax.
Clank turned to wake his best friend up, only to find Ratchet already awake, sitting bolt upright, his eyes wide and bloodshot.
"Ratchet? What are you doing up so early? …What is wrong?" he had asked. It was most unlike the Lombax, after all, to wake early; He often slept through every alarm in their apartment and relied on Clank to rouse him from his slumber.
Ratchet had jumped slightly and turned his eyes upon the silver bot.
"Oh! Hey pal!" Ratchet had replied cheerily, leaping out of bed. "Sleep well? I sure did, lemme tell ya! Yeah, I don't remember the last time I slept that good!"
"Ratchet, please do not play games with me now; you look terrible."
The Lombax's tail had flicked once as he fought to come up with a good story to explain away his lack of rest.
"…Just nightmares… Ya know, about all that mess we got into at the Outpost yesterday."
This was partially true. Ratchet had spent several hours during the night nearing the brink of deep sleep when his mind, as that lovely noodle is prone to do when you lower your guard, recalled images sharp as reality of those nightmarish creatures; his light glancing off their reflective, razor-sharp fangs, their slimy, glistening, milky eyes, and their shadows shifting and flashing in the dim reddish glow of the emergency lights, and of Lombaxes, one after the other, being slaughtered in brutal fashion by unknown horrors.
He had forced himself to reflect on Rivet, that magnificent woman, the definition of perfection, and that cherished moment the two of them had spent, however short, right outside this room.
The spell of calm it had afforded him was nevertheless brushed aside like a waitress cleaning the crumbs off a grav-table as it gave way to what followed – his argument with Talwyn and their parting of the ways. The memory of her shouts, her red, furious, tear-streaked face, and her accusations tore at his chest, but not nearly as much as the memory of how he had bellowed at her in his anger. He didn't love her as he once had, but he would be lying if he pretended he didn't still love her as a friend. Quite apart from once being the closest the Lombax had come to knowing the kind of happiness that he had believed was only a thing of fairy tales, Tal had been his closest friend after Clank, whom he loved and cherished as the brother he never had… And he had treated her like utter refuse.
"…Ratch…? What is the matter?"
The Lombax jumped again. He had been standing quite still, these thoughts whirling through his mind and making his ears droop without his realization. His breathing had become more shallow and he felt an intense, sore weight against his throat that made his eyes feel hot and unusually heavy. He also became aware that he was gripping and squeezing his tail… very much like someone else once did… He dropped it quickly and turned his face from Clank, who had spoken again, almost hesitantly.
"I… saw Talwyn last night after dinner… she looked very… upset… Have you seen her since then?"
Ratchet looked up, his face still averted.
"(Damn it Clank… Ya gotta ask?)"
"…No, I haven't." said Ratchet, shortly. The lump in his throat was rather painful… Why was he feeling like this? He hadn't been this close to this kind of emotion for years!
Clank had leaned a little to the side, trying to look his friend in the face, but Ratchet shifted around and kept his face turned away.
"Perhaps… you ought to go and speak with her? She looked as though-" "We broke up, Clank."
There was no point trying to hide it. Clank would find out sooner rather than later, and if he had refused to go and talk with her, the Lombax highly expected his friend would have gone to her and tried to find occasion to reunite them… Because that's what a true friend does.
"You… 'broke up'…?" he had asked, sounding surprised.
"Yeah buddy… We broke up."
"But…" Clank was looking very confused. "I register no… fractures anywhere in your anatomical makeup… And she seemed uninjured too! What is this… 'broke up' of which you speak?"
Ratchet almost snorted. Clank had experienced love before himself, but… of course he wouldn't call it 'breaking up'. The knot in his throat loosening from his amusement at Clank, he turned to face him at last.
He had told Clank everything that had happened; Talwyn's anger and her accusations (minus the part about him actually being in love with Rivet, of course… he made it sound as though Talwyn judged poorly), and his fury at her behavior and treatment of him over the last three years.
Clank was stunned for a moment, looking across the table at Ratchet.
"…Yes, I can see why you would not wish to speak with her so soon after such an… exchange."
"That's one heck of a way to put it, buddy."
"I do not fully understand though… Talwyn was jealous? Of Rivet?"
"Yup. If ya ask me, it's not too hard to understand… I mean, sure, she an' I've been hangin' out a lot lately, and…" Ratchet hesitated, reminding himself horribly of what the Markazian had accused him of, "…and she's another Lombax… She probably thought that… you know…"
Clank narrowed his eyes slightly in thought.
"…Know what?"
Ratchet blushed slightly.
"…You know… with so many of our kind gettin' killed off, maybe Tal thought… you know…!"
Clank looked stumped.
"…Nevermind." Ratchet said, relieved and raising his mug to his lips, but quite astounded that his walking encyclopedia of a friend was completely devoid of knowledge on what he was referring to.
Clank observed Ratchet for a little while, sipping some tea and considering everything the Lombax had told him.
"…Do you have feelings for Rivet?"
Ratchet nearly choked on his coffee.
"W-what?" he spluttered, swallowing much more of the hot liquid than normal for one sip. "N-no way! I mean, sure I like her, but not… Not like that! Besides, we're… We're way too similar! I mean, come on! She's just… she's just me from another dimension! Do you think I have feelings for her?"
Clank sat for a while, observing Ratchet's face. He wondered whether the bot could see through his lie… He always did, after all.
"I do not necessarily agree with that last statement of yours… The time I have spent with her does not exceed yours by much, but I am still impressed, despite the many similarities, just how different you two are from each other."
Ratchet didn't say anything; he just watched and listened. So Clank thought the same way he did on this subject…
"As for your feelings… I think… You consider her a cherished friend - A cherished friend whom you find fascinating for what and who she is."
Ratchet couldn't believe his ears. He stared at Clank, looking into his green eyes, which no longer bore signs of scrutiny. Was Clank being honest? Or was he playing along?
"But no matter… The morning is far spent by now; you had best take your shower Ratchet; I project we will arrive in the cafeteria with five minutes to spare for breakfast."
"No sweat, I got this pal."
"That is assuming you get out of the shower in less than forty-five minutes."
Ratchet blushed.
"Fine, I'll make this one quick!"
"Strap in guys, we're about to pass the Corson V Blockade!" called Phantom.
Ratchet jerked back to the present.
There it was – his and Clank's home: Corson V, surrounded by a positive legion of blockade ships that, together, formed a large force field that encased the massive metropolitan planet, like a giant soap bubble.
A thin, orange beam of light passed over them as they approached the blockade – a bioscan for which they were prepared.
"You're all clear CG-3461; proceed."
A flood of memories returned to the Lombax from their briefing before they had departed the Phoenix.
Ratchet could hear Captain Qwark's deep, 'speech voice' in his head as clearly as though the massive-chinned superhero sat beside him.
"—not even hot-gluing those ADORABLY oversized ears of yours down will get you through an imperial bioscan! Fortunately for you, I just so happen to have come into acquisition of not one, not two, nor THREE, but FOUR INCREDIBLY specific garbage-can life-wave scramblers! Just throw one into your pockets (or chassis) and all bioscan readings will pick you up as nothing more than a heaping pile of galactic waste! Or all ten seasons of Lance and Janice… Either way, it's FOOL-PROOF! Would I lie to you?"
Choosing to ignore the last question Qwark had posed and wondering vaguely where the heck Qwark had acquired these devices, Ratchet returned his attention out the window as they entered Corson V's atmosphere, descending smoothly through the clouds and finally emerged into the large, bustling, night-lit city, through which now many imperial patrol ships were flying. It was Friday all right; traffic was heavy as citizens and imperials alike made for hundreds upon thousands of unknown destinations, clearly ready to enjoy their limited free time from their day jobs under Tachyon's rule.
Ratchet felt a distinct sense of despair as his eyes fell upon the dozens of Heralds that patrolled the streets, the hundreds of imperial vehicles mingling with the thousands of citizen vehicles that crisscrossed in every direction. While not in as bad a state as the Corson V of D2-416, it was nevertheless frightening how dramatically the city had changed since the last time he and Clank had been here.
"There's the place – straight ahead."
Ratchet and Rivet straightened up in their seats, Clank and Kit standing up in theirs to see out.
Indeed – up ahead, several hundred feet below, was the well-lit building that housed Club Esoteric.
Phantom took them down to a rooftop several blocks away, setting down carefully behind a large holo-board and Clank and Kit hopped onto their respective partners' backs.
Once Ratchet and Rivet disembarked, Phantom took off again, rising slowly at first, then flying off at speed to await their signal.
Ratchet turned and saw again the bright lights of Club Esoteric reflecting off the skyscrapers and smaller buildings around in the distance. More of their briefing returned to him, in Locke's and Derek's voices.
"Security in the area will be tight rooks; Tachyon knows Zedderek is on Corson V, but not where. Nevertheless, he'd be a dang fool not to have patrols at every corner. The streets're too dangerous to traverse, so Phantom'll drop ya off on the rooftops."
"From there, you young and fit whippersnappers'll leap nimbly from roof to roof until ya reach Club Esoteric. Don't even bother tryin' to use the roof access, it's been sealed shut."
"Ol' Zed knows he's bein' hunted an' he ain't takin' no chances! Fortunately for you, I hear from that skaterfeller over there-"
"It's called a hoverboard, dude!"
"Same difference! Point is the place's a real hotspot on the weekends! You'll be able to mix in with the crowd, so make the most of it and get in there!"
Talwyn's voice sounded again in Ratchet's ears, somewhere between brittle and hard, or maybe even both at once, and Ratchet's stomach clenched as he remembered her look of mingled hurt and coldness as she had looked at him.
"We've learned the place is for imperial patrons only, so you need fake IDs to get in. Fortunately, Phantom and the Terachnoids, and with a little help from Skidd, we've been able to fabricate soldier IDs for you both. They're flawless in every way."
Qwark's voice returned.
"Unfortunately for your little metal buddies, the entire block is currently under a highly inconvenient and murderously strict 'no synthetics' lockdown! …What's that look for? I didn't come up with that idea! Nevertheless, they'll be able to provide you support from the roof top as they watch for Zedderek's life signal!"
"And that-", Talwyn's voice said again, "Brings us back to getting inside the place… It's actually a blessing in disguise the Lombaxes are almost extinct, as none will recognize either of you for what you are. Only those who have imperial IDs can get in, so nobody will recognize you Ratchet. And as you'll both be 'imperial soldiers' yourselves, none will question you and you'll be able to walk in and out without giving up your weapons. Remember though, we need Zedderek alive; make sure he's brought back in one piece!"
Qwark resumed speaking –
"Phantasmo here will act as support on this mission. Once you've captured, or rather dubiously rescued Zedderek against his will, return to Clank and Kitten-"
"KIT!" Rivet had interrupted angrily.
"KIT, sorry, sheesh! Return to Clank and KIT, radio into Phantasmic, and get the heck outta there and back here in TIME FOR WAFFLES! Seriously, I will NOT be waiting for you four!"
All this in a heartbeat, and Ratchet was standing again next to Rivet, looking out over the skyline.
"Rivet, I am detecting two Heralds on the rooftop across from us; They are unaware of our presence, but we cannot proceed without detection." Kit said.
Rivet smirked.
"Not a problem."
She crouched down at the parapet of the roof and mounted the Skull Crusher atop it.
"Rivet, I do not think - ", began Clank, but Ratchet cut him off.
"Relax pal," he said, crouching down beside his counterpart, "This is why ya gotta study guns more! Just watch…"
Rivet twisted switch behind the magazine well and above the trigger guard, and the muzzle of the gun extended and grew bulkier as a suppresser bloomed at the end.
"Well?" Ratchet asked eagerly.
"…Most impressive, and I say that sincerely."
Rivet aimed down the sights, centering the autocorrecting scope over the head of her first target, which glowed vibrantly in the night vision, waiting for the right moment to strike.
The Herald turned and walked away from its partner a short distance and paused again, yawning, when a muffled *crack* erupted from their position, drowned out by all the on-ground and airborn traffic.
The Herald's head exploded into a cloud of blood, bone, and glass, and his corpse fell to the ground. So far away was he however, that his partner was blissfully unaware of the danger.
After a pause, the other soldier turned, and had just spotted the body of his comrade when he was met with the same fate.
Even with the suppresser, a shockwave blew back that made the asphalt roof shake slightly and sent a tremor through their bodies.
"Well done, Rivet!" Kit said, sounding both proud and thrilled at seeing the Skull Crusher in action.
"Hell yeah! Haha! Never saw it comin'!"
"Yeah, that was… awesome!" Ratchet added, rather stupidly. The sight of Rivet using the weapon she had so-desired, the gift that made her so happy and which he, Ratchet, had given her, made the male feel quite as exhilarated as Rivet was at her success.
"Yes, well done." Said Clank. "I sense no further, immediate threats. Let us continue."
The two Lombaxes advanced, crossing a catwalk that connected them to a neighboring rooftop. Ratchet glanced down. None of the citizens nor the Heralds patrolling below seemed to have heard the muffled crack of the Skull Crusher being fired.
They crossed the opposite rooftop without issue, then climbed a ladder to a neighboring building higher above.
"Wait - " Clank said suddenly, and the two Lombaxes paused in their ascent. "There is one Herald above us. Wait for him to… Oh dear…" "What?" chorused Ratchet and Rivet in hushed voices.
"He has spotted the corpses of the two Heralds from earlier! He is going to investigate! We must stop him before he calls for reinforcements!"
Without a further delay, Ratchet, who was in front, scrambled up the remaining steps on the ladder and heaved himself up just in time to see the top of the beast's glass helmet fall out of sight.
He sprinted across to the opposite fire escape and leapt down after him. Ratchet fell through the night air, gaining in speed as the Herald dashed for the corpses of his comrades, but –
SMASH!
There was a sound of metal crashing against asphalt as Ratchet landed on top of the imperial soldier, making him crash to the ground, completely winded.
The Lombax swung his Omniwrench high overhead and brought it down with a flash of chrome in the lights of the evening metropolis, and with a crashing, shattering sound and a rather repulsive, squelching CRACK, the beast's helmet burst into a cloud of broken glass and its skull split clean down the center oozing blood all over the rooftop.
"Risky, violent, and quite sickening… But nevertheless effective." Clank observed as Ratchet shook his wrench, a look of disgust on his face as he tried to get the green blood off his favorite weapon. "Good work, all things considered."
"Wanna save some for us, you two?"
Rivet and Kit had just landed behind them.
"Hey, you already got two a second ago, it was my turn!" Ratchet said with a chuckle.
"So that's how it is, huh?" Rivet asked, smirking, and there was a competitive gleam in her blue eyes. "I bet I can get more than you before we head back to base!"
Ratchet raised an eyebrow, also smirking.
"Not a chance, Riv… I'm the best shot on this team and you know it!"
"Ratchet, Rivet, now is not the time for games; our orders were to do this as quick and clean as possible!" Clank interrupted.
"And that means staying out of trouble!" Kit added. "The less attention we draw to ourselves the better our chances at recovering Zedderek and escaping in one piece!"
Both Lombaxes rolled their eyes.
"*sigh* All right buddy, you have my word."
"Whatever you say Kit."
They pressed on, but as Rivet leapt onto the adjacent roof top, she gave Ratchet a look that told him quite clearly that she was going to be keeping count, and he made a mental note to tally his kill-count as well as he jumped the gap, bringing the distantly rhythmic thudding of muffled techno and trance music slightly closer.
They vaulted over ventilation shafts, swingshotted up to roofs higher up, crossed over, and descended again, keeping their eyes and ears peeled for more patrols, and ducking behind air-conditioning units as the occasional patrol from below shone a spotlight up at the roofs at random, trying to catch anyone that was evading the eyes of the emperor. They ran into few further obstacles, and with the three Heralds now far behind them, they had no reason to fear more delays or potential issues.
At last, the thudding and dull vibration of music growing much more defined, they reached the rooftop of Club Esoteric. As Locke and Derek had said, it was highly crowded around the front, swarming with citizens that presented IDs that marked them as imperial loyalists before they vanished inside.
"I suppose this is where we part."
Ratchet registered the removal of the light weight he was so used to carrying on his back as Clank dismounted, his metal feet clanking on the asphalt rooftop, and Kit joined him soon after.
"So… you two'll be all right without us?" Rivet asked the yellow bot.
"It is not we I am concerned about." She replied, and Rivet scoffed.
"Pfft! C'mon Kit, we got this! That green buffoon hasn't led us wrong yet… yet." She said, looking suddenly only half-convinced.
"It will work - ", said Clank, " –they were copied from stolen ID tags and given new serial numbers with your names on them. I checked with Phantom before we departed and saw them myself at a nanobyte level. They are foolproof."
Looking rather relieved, Kit leapt atop some leftover building supplies and took shelter behind them.
"We shall watch over you both from here. Keep vigilant."
"And act as natural as you can." Clank added.
"Right!" said Ratchet, determinedly. "C'mon, let's go find us a DJ."
The two Lombaxes turned and made for a ladder that descended onto the backside of the club and into a dark alley. Ratchet watched as Clank hopped over the leftover building supplies and took shelter with Kit, his stomach giving a restless squirm, in spite of the confidence and determination he felt. He hated not having Clank with him on a mission… the surprisingly light weight he bore on the Lombax's back, his dry humor, the ever-useful advice he supplied in both dangerous and baffling situations… He was also concerned for the bot's safety, being so much smaller than he. But, he reassured himself, Clank and Kit definitely knew what they were doing. As boring as this rooftop was, there was next to no chance (and Clank could definitely give an exact percentage, down to the three-hundred and seventy-second squillionth decimal, of what those odds really were) that a Herald would come up to this roof where there was nothing but a dull thudding of bass and some old leftover construction supplies.
Ratchet slid down the ladder, his boots hitting the ground with a muffled * thump* and stepped aside as Rivet landed beside him shortly after.
They both turned to look out into the street beyond the gloom and shadow of the alley, watching the crowd flooding toward their destination and watching their scales, fur, and skin hues change slightly as the brightly lit neon sign above them transitioned to different colors with the beat of the music.
The two Lombaxes slid out of the shadowy alley and transitioned easily into the crowd without drawing attention.
They remained very close together, trying not to get separated in the throng of people. Ratchet could clearly feel the natural warmth emanating from Rivet as they stood and stepped slowly toward the entrance, and he fought to keep his mind grounded. He couldn't afford to let his mind wander now, there was too much risk involved tonight; They were walking, quite undisguised, save for two flat, pieces of plastic in their hands, right into a building that was full of the people that hated the faction to which they belonged. He had to focus – focus on finding Zedderek, focus on getting in then out without raising suspicion, focus on rejoining with Clank and Kit, and above all, make sure, make absolutely sure that Rivet remained safe.
The procession of eager clubbers split into two lines as they approached the entrance, and both Lombaxes took the shorter queue, like any reasonable person would.
The bouncer examined their IDs closely, using some odd device that resembled a miniature Helper Bot and which scanned the two IDs, the music from inside a little more audible now, but still muffled. He looked down at them, being a good three feet taller than the two Lombaxes.
"You two are imperial scouts? You's the shortest runts of the emperor's I ever saw."
Ratchet and Rivet raised an eyebrow. They were well aware of their short stature in comparison to every other creature in the universe, which so often led to the two being severely underestimated by the inexperienced criminal or supervillain. Nevertheless, this was saying something as far as Ratchet was concerned, for when the Lombax had last faced Tachyon, the Cragmite ruler himself hadn't been much if any taller than himself.
Apparently, the bouncer was thinking the same thing, or at least something similar, for he shrugged and stepped aside.
They walked inside and down a hall dimly lit by neon lights, the walls of which seemed to be vibrating slightly from the kicks of the bass, and following the crowd which had thinned significantly due to everyone being stopped at the door. Ratchet couldn't help but notice Rivet nodding her head very subtly in time with the beat of the music.
They paused at a large double-door through which trance music, now clearer than ever, was blasting at full volume, and around the corners bled colorful, changing lights.
"Well, here we go…" said Ratchet, and he pushed the door open.
A large, large arena with a high ceiling and crowded with evening revelers met their eyes. It was full of a very light fog, creating a curiously ambient atmosphere combined with all the neon lights. What resembled a Groovitron, obviously modified to prevent the patrons from dancing uncontrollably, hung from the ceiling, revolving slowly and reflecting the many lights that were cast throughout the arena. The floor sank down in levels, into a sort of depression in the ground some ten feet below. Around the walls on each level, and forming a massive half-oval down in the center of the room were an array of tables, both short and tall, some with chairs, and others without, which were clearly intended to be stood at, and where many were eating or talking, laughing or arguing lightheartedly. A bar and a window showing into a kitchen were visible along one wall, booth tables along the opposite. In the center of the room, within the half-oval shaped depression at the lowest level, was a giant dance floor, upon which shone spotlights, decorative lasers, and various lighting fixtures, some of which changed color in a surprisingly unbothersome fashion, and where the bulk of the crowd had gathered.
Trance music was blaring from every speaker – around the walls, from the ceiling and from the stage at which stood –
Ratchet saw him first – a Kerwanian DJ on the stage against the wall at the end of the half-oval shaped dance floor, adjusting the sound balance, the volume, which tracks were playing, how they transitioned one from the other, and handling the various other aspects of the music.
"Riv, check it out." Ratchet said, nodding in the direction of the DJ.
She fixed her eyes on the Kerwanian, and they narrowed.
"It's too hard to make him out from all the way back here through the lights and the mist. Let's get closer."
They made their way to a short set of stairs, descending a few levels, and trying not to bump into the many citizens crowding the arena.
The number of people on the dance floor being too large and the individual citizens being much taller than they, the two Lombaxes stopped at the final level so they could see over the heads of their fellow clubbers.
The DJ was definitely Kerwanian in appearance, and he too wore an afro, but other than that, neither Lombax could remember how their target looked.
"…Still sorta hard to tell… Kit, you see this guy? Is it Zedderek?" Rivet asked.
"Let me see…" Kit's voice responded. "…No, this is someone else. However, Zedderek is supposed to be here tonight, just like we heard."
"It might be a while before he takes the stage, however... There has been a rescheduling."
Both Lombaxes groaned.
"Well that's great…"
"Typical…"
Clank continued, "Do not fear, he will still be on stage later. I suggest finding something to pass the time. I see a kitchen branching off from one of the walls. Why not take a moment to refresh yourselves with some food?"
Stop to eat food? Now? As much as he enjoyed techno and trance music himself, Ratchet had never been to this place before, and what they might serve for food was foreign to him. Besides, it wasn't exactly the safest place for them to be after all; Bluffed their way in they may have, but they still drew the occasional curious glance from passersby, and, though Ratchet was aware none here would question them as long as they had these fake IDs out of fear of disrespecting imperial soldiers, he still had a feeling that all of this could go wrong at any second.
However, these thoughts had barely finished passing through Ratchet's mind when Clank's suggestion sparked a new idea in his mind…
He looked at Rivet. The lights of the club were dancing in her eyes as she stood there, apparently digesting Clank's and Kit's words.
"('Refresh yourselves with some food'…)"
Well, it wasn't exactly the prime spot for a romantic dinner perhaps, but maybe he could at least pacify some of those burning feelings he had for her by buying her food and taking to one of the more secluded booths? Who knows? They could pass the time alone together, ignored by the late night revelers, talking freely without fear of intrusion or embarrassment…
He had just opened his mouth to ask her if she wanted to go with him and find a table when she suddenly turned away. She was looking at the kitchen a few levels above, then turned again to look at the dance floor. Behind the reflection of flashing, color-changing lights, Ratchet distinctly saw interest flaring up within her brilliantly blue eyes.
"You know… Phantom was onto something… This music's not half bad!"
She stood up straight and turned to look at him, and his heart leapt to see a small smile curling the corners of her mouth.
"Check this, hotshot! These losers won't know what hit 'em!"
And before Ratchet could do more than open his mouth to offer caution, the female Lombax vaulted over the handrail and dashed onto the dance floor.
However, his initial concern quickly melted. He knew she was a good dancer; he had seen her bust a few quick moves in front of the jukebox at Zurkie's Gastropub during the dimensional cataclysm, but this was - there was no point sugarcoating it – impressive. Rivet danced with unparalleled skill, her movement perfectly synched with the music. Ratchet watched her swing, shuffle, and spin, yet it was never without grace or reason; everything she did looked and felt so… right.
He watched, blinking less and less, and the swarming crowd around her grew more and more blurred and distorted, while she on the other hand grew sharper and clearer, her eyes closed and relaxed, and that smile – that beautiful smile – still curling her lips.
"Say, that furball's got talent!"
Ratchet jerked awake. He was not the only one watching now – several more of the club's patrons had joined his side at the handrail and were pointing the female Lombax out, apparently impressed.
"Finally, someone that knows how to move out here! Jeeeeze did you see that?!"
Rivet had just pulled a maneuver in which she had spun to the floor before pushing herself up by a single mechanical finger, still spinning and gaining momentum all the while before pushing so hard she had leapt back up, twirling through the air and landing spectacularly on her feet.
Several bystanders cheered, and even a few of her fellow dancers had actually paused to applaud her, laughing jovially.
Her eyes opened and she gave a bow, her face flushed with delight.
Ratchet, who had nearly fallen back into his trance as he had seen her pull off her last couple of moves, quickly joined in the applause, undeniably impressed, and feeling his heart swell with pleasure at the sight of her exhilarated, flushed face as she ran forward.
"That was… awesome, Rivet!" He said, rather breathlessly.
Rivet, breathing a little harder than usual from all the feats she had just pulled off, gave a proud laugh.
"You know it! Did'ja see the looks on their faces?!" she said excitedly.
Ratchet chuckled.
"Sure did! You had 'em eating outta your hand!"
Rivet gave another proud laugh, but also looked a little flattered at his words.
"Oh, shut it, you! You're just saying that!" she teased.
"Hmmm… Maybe." Ratchet replied, also rather teasingly.
"That so?" Rivet asked, raising an eyebrow, and Ratchet saw once again a fiery gleam in her radiant eyes. "How 'bout it then hotshot? You can knock a few bad guys, sure, but how good are ya on the floor?"
"Wh-what?"
The leaping sensation in his chest quickly regressed into something that resembled half a wad of tangleweed on Sargasso. Okay, so he had broken a few moves while under the influence of a real Groovitron but… well, it was a Groovitron; He hadn't been in control of his limbs at the time, and the only explanation for his style and grace on that occasion was the curious effect that seemingly insignificant and harmless little disco ball had on anyone that was not its user.
"D-dance? Me? I… I Don't-"
"Awww, is the big bad Ratchet scared of being outdanced by a girl?"
A small spark of his old defiance broke through the tangled weed in his stomach.
"Scared?! Of you?! Hell no!"
"Then come on, hotshot! Show me what'cha got!"
And the female took Ratchet's arm and tugged him forward, making goosebumps erupt up his back and his head swim in pleasure… But then his mind resurfaced from the gutters, and he remembered what was about to happen, replacing the warm fuzzy sensation in his mind and chest with a rather cold ball of lead which thunked right into his stomach.
In the middle of the dance floor, Rivet released his arm at last and immediately resumed dancing, as effortlessly and gracefully as though she never stopped.
Ratchet stood there stupidly for a moment, his mind racing, watching the hundreds of late-night party-goers around him shifting all around him, slightly blurred. His heart raced and he felt as though time had slowed down as adrenaline began coursing through him in his panic. Reacting rather instinctively to the sensation, he began to move, trying his best to match or at least closely resemble Rivet's actions.
A thousand thoughts raced through his mind. He remembered the first time someone had shot a gun at him – at the young age of fifteen in the Kyzil Plateau outskirts shortly after he had recovered Clank, dodging behind crates as Blarg soldiers opened fire in their attempt to steal the small silver defect for their cause. He remembered his encounter with the Blargian Snagglebeast, his first encounter against Nefarious, fighting through the Drophyds as they laid waste to Kerwan in their attempt to assassinate him.
Quite apart from being struck with the thought of 'wow, a lot of things sure do want to kill me', a crazy idea occurred to him… But which just might work.
Ratchet let these razor-sharp memories whirl in his mind, and he responded with the muscle memory of ten years' experience in fighting aliens, machine, and monsters alike. He spun on the spot, shifted his weight, threw himself to the floor, but matched his timing with the music, occasionally drawing a mock invisible weapon and exaggerating his actions, treating his predicament just like a rhythm-based combat scenario which, ironically, was where he felt more comfortable than on a dance floor surrounded by semi harmless clubbers. He was deaf and blind to his surroundings – everything and everyone except the white-furred Lombax beside him.
She had opened her eyes and was grinning at him, her eyes still full of competition, and he couldn't resist grinning back. They began a sort of 'duet', Rivet mimicking his actions now, clearly catching onto his game, and the two occasionally paring up as they had in numerous combat situations before, and with Rivet at his side, his actions grew more fluid and relaxed, his timing growing tighter, and before long the male was smiling naturally, his anxiety now far behind him.
At last, with one final flourish together, both Lombaxes sprung back up as Rivet had done earlier and came to a stop.
Suddenly the volume of his surroundings had turned back up. There was a loud eruption of clapping and cheers from the levels above as they both stood there, both hot in the face and breathing heavily. From down on the floor, it seemed to Ratchet that at least a quarter of the patrons had stopped to watch, and were giving the pair of heroes a loud, standing ovation.
Ratchet shrugged and smirked, and he took a bow, quickly followed by Rivet.
They both made for the stairs, their spectators praising the pair for their choreography and chemistry on the dance floor, and before long they had returned to one of the upper levels that was much less crowded as many more patrons stampeded down to try and mimic the two Lombaxes' dance maneuvers.
"Haven't had… this much fun… in a while!" Rivet said, still breathing hard and sweating a little.
Her face was definitely flushed, making her white-furred cheeks look pink.
"Yeah! Didn't expect our… mission would be this enjoyable, hah!" Ratchet said eagerly, also breathing hard. He was quite hot, but knew he'd cool off after a while if he stopped and rested for a moment.
"I'm gonna… run to the bar for a glass of water - " Rivet panted. "Should I grab an extra?"
"Oh, no thanks! I'll be good! I'll be sitting over here." He indicated a booth against the opposite wall.
With a nod and a short, single wave of her bionic hand, Rivet turned and walked off toward the bar.
He watched her go, his eyes following the swishing movements of her bushy tail, her hips swaying ever so slightly, despite how hard he knew she tried to keep up her tough-guy façade.
He sighed longingly, then, as much as he wanted to just watch her forever, he walked over and sat in the booth, glancing again at the DJ. Zedderek still hadn't arrived.
"Ratchet…!"
The Lombax jumped and looked around. He had not been expecting for someone to come up behind him and whisper into his ear.
"Who the-?! Wait… Al? The heck are you doin' here?"
The figure was wearing imperial soldier armor and helmet, but there was no mistaking the yellow fur, the round belly, the rather 'nerdy' voice, and the lower-half of his face below the helmet.
Indeed, the humanoid sat across from him and removed his headgear, revealing his and Clank's friend and their most trusted robotics and computer expert, outside of the small silver bot himself, of course.
"Skidd told me you'd be here; said I should try and 'hook you up with some info' on this 'Zedderek' character you're after."
Ratchet's ears perked up at once. If there was anyone who could find lost or encrypted information on anybody, it was the guy sitting across from him.
"So? Whaddaya got? We haven't been able to find anything on him. Did'ja find anything useful? What's he done that was so important that Tachyon's tearing the galaxy apart to find him?"
"'Did I find anything important', he says… Pffft. Yeah, I did. It only took six seconds; The guy's apartment is fulluv old records and datalogs! I patched in and downloaded copies of everything. You're telling me you guys never tried to look into what he had stored away at his place?"
Ratchet stared at Al. Was it really that easy? How could Zedderek, who was on the run from Tachyon, and who so ardently sought to cover his real identity, have left so many critical self-identifying files laying around the place? And how could Phantom, the Terachnoids, and Clank all have overlooked so simple a solution?
Choosing to ignore Al's last question, he leaned forward.
"Well let's hear it then! What'd'ja find out?"
"All right," said Al, " - so Zedderek was once the head scientist in the empires R and-"
"I already know that part; he stole a buncha technology and helped Tachyon build his Herald military."
"Excuse me, I thought I was filling you in, not the other way around!" "Right, right sorry!" Ratchet said impatiently. "Go ahead."
"Gladly… Like I was saying, he was once the head of R and D, and like you said, he stole weapons and technology from across the universe to build up the emperor's army."
Al leaned a little closer, lowering his voice slightly, and Ratchet leaned forward to hear him over the continuing pound of trance and the on-going chatter of the crowd.
"The emperor wasn't satisfied with that… He was pushing Zedderek, and he was pushing hard. He's after something, some kinda new… or rather, old weapon would be more accurate; something that I thought was only the thing of science fiction."
Really? Science fiction? After everything they've both seen, Ratchet would've thought that there wasn't such a thing as science fiction anymore. Al continued however as though he had said nothing strange.
"There's not too much rocket science to this one; Zedderek couldn't find it, the emperor was comin' down hard, and the poor Tharpod had enough."
"Wait, Tharpod?" Ratchet interrupted again.
"Yes, Tharpod! That Kerwanian get-up is just a hologuise, remember? Skidd told me you were already briefed on that! But like I was saying, he had enough. Whether Tachyon was gonna kill him, or the guy just got tired of being yelled at all day, which as a fellow engineer I can quite understand; don't these people realize how hard it is to focus when you have someone blabbing in your ears all day? But I digress. He tore outta there and assumed the identity of DJ ZDK to take up his real passion of writing trance and techno music."
Ratchet considered this for a minute. Really, it was good to know what race Zedderek belonged to, but this info still didn't lead them any closer to finding out what Tachyon was up to.
"What about this weapon? You been able to find anything on it?"
"Oh, now as for that…" said Al, and Ratchet guessed, by Al's tone and mock surprise, that the engineer had neglected to say anything about it just yet and waited to be asked for dramatic effect.
"Yes, that… It's a lost Cragmite weapon those tyrants designed about a year before the Great War,
back before the Lombaxes took their stand and led the rebellion against the universe's cruel
overlords. According to what I could dig up, it was a tool of mass destruction the Cragmites
planned to use to keep those under their rule in-check. It really sounded quite fascinating… from an
engineering perspective, that is. Otherwise it was terrible. You see, it was powered by draining the
energy from stars, and was capable of leveling entire cities in seconds, destroying worlds in
minutes. But they never got beyond the planning stage, because the Great War started and they had
to focus all their efforts and resources on crushing the resistance. However, the Cragmites did
begin adding to their designs for this superweapon before they fell to the Dimensionator. They
studied their victims in detail – the peoples of various races whom they slew and preserved for
research, and found, at an atomic level, all creatures of each species share a common make-up.
They theorized they could exploit this with their superweapon. Don't ask me how they planned to
do it, I'm just an engineer, not an atom scientist! But they believed, by exploiting this common trait
that each different species shares with those of their race, they could eradicate an entire race of
creatures by simply killing one creature of said race with this weapon, which they named the
'Solar Hammer'. Yes, I know that's a terrible name! I'd've called it something like… like… 'The
Sunlit Rays of Devestation!'"
Ratchet was staring blankly into space again. This weapon… That name…
"'Should your foundations crumble and steel dissolve in the light of the sun'… 'Solar Hammer'… 'the light of the sun'…!" Ratchet said to himself, and Al looked at him rather curiously.
Of course; it all made sense now. The Lombaxes knew that Tachyon was searching for the Solar Hammer – the doomsday device that genocidal dictator's ancestors had once devised to bring the universe to its knees, and which the Cragmites themselves had surely planned to use against the Lombaxes before they were defeated and banished to another dimension for their crimes against nature. The Lombaxes had fled to some unknown location - fled from the Solar Hammer, or the light of the sun as they cryptically named it, to preserve their race and assumedly try to get their numbers together again before attempting another rebellion. Zedderek had been tasked to help the Cragmite ruler find this lost weapon, and he had thus far been unsuccessful, but with Tachyon back, burning with determination to finish what his forefathers began, it was more critical than ever they find Zedderek before their enemy did, and learn everything this ex-scientist knew about his former master and this weapon of mass destruction.
"You okay, Ratchet?"
Ratchet blinked, coming back to earth rather sharply.
"Oh! Yeah, I'm… I'm fine… Thank you Al… This is... This is big…!"
"Well what can I say?" Al said, standing up to leave. "If you need the latest on what evil dictators are planning, news on all the latest feats of engineering, or perhaps another warbot upgrade, you can always call on Big Al! Well I'm outta here, I need to get back in time to record the series finale of Oracles of Arcos! It's a four-hour special with NO commercial breaks! Be seein' ya Ratchet! And tell Clank I said hi!"
And with that, Al turned and walked out through the double doors.
Ratchet continued to sit there long after Al had left, going over the things he had just heard and wondering where this weapon could possibly be. If Tachyon, with all his power and resources as dictator of the universe, and with all his wisdom on both the Lombaxes and the Cragmites still hadn't found it… Well, if anything, that was something to be thankful for. He and Rivet really needed to find Zedderek though; after all, the Tharpod had spent some unknown interval of time studying and searching for the device under Tachyon's orders, and it was likely he had at worst some suspicions on where they could begin their search… And speaking of Rivet…
Ratchet straightened in his seat, his eyes raking the bar at which the female Lombax had visited earlier for a glass of water… She was no longer there.
Ratchet stood up and walked over, his anxiety, which so recently had been quelled after successfully dancing with Rivet, and which had been probed once more at the knowledge of what Tachyon was after, raised a further few degrees.
However, he need not have worried. As Ratchet approached the bar, he saw her out of the corner of his eyes, sitting at a booth a short way off and leaning forward slightly, her head slightly bowed.
Ratchet redirected his steps at once. Why had she come to sit over here, all by herself?
Ratchet stopped short before the table. She was in fact not alone after all… Or rather, she hadn't been alone. There was a rather rough-looking lizard-like biped creature with tattoos across the side of his face and spiked bands around his wrists lying on the floor, fast asleep.
"What the…? Rivet…? What happened here?" Ratchet asked sitting down across from her.
Rivet jumped and her head snapped up at once.
"Who'sere?" she said sharply, her eyes darting around, apparently struggling to see him, and swaying slightly where she sat. "I'll be with ya inna moment…"
Rivet's speech was slow and her words slurred together. Ratchet sat there confused, his eyebrows contracting as he looked at her more closely. Rivet lifted a class to her mouth and took a long draught of the bright greenish-yellow liquid within.
She lowered the glass and exhaled sharply, giving a quick shake of the head and Ratchet felt a spasm of foreboding. Rivet's eyes were heavily unfocused, her eyelids drooping slightly, and as he watched, she gave an enormous hiccup.
"Uhhh Rivet… Is that… Mort's Lemonade?"
"The finest LIME-ade this side-a the *hic!* Breegus Sector… Who's askin'?"
She blinked several times in rapid succession, looking at him closely, her eyes narrowed.
"Riv… How much did you drink…?"
But she didn't respond. She was still staring at him, her eyes foggy, trying to make out his face.
Suddenly her eyes flew wide open and she fell back in her seat as though struck by a blast of wind.
"Rivet! Are you all right?" Ratchet asked, leaning forward in his seat, concerned. Had they put something in her limeade?
The female Lombax blinked again, then smiled slightly. There was… something else in her eyes now, which gave Ratchet a curious sensation in both his stomach and chest.
"Well, hey there han'some~ I didnnow there were any others like me left..." She said, and she sat up straight and she too leaned forward slightly. Ratchet froze.
"Uhh… What'd you just call me…?"
Rivet gave a drunken giggle, then slid out of her seat and flung herself beside him with uncanny speed and precision, making Ratchet jump.
"Whatch'a call yerself?~" she asked, her body turned toward his, and her face flushed. "Uhhh… Y-you know who I am! I-I'm Ratchet, remember?" Rivet hiccupped again and her smile broadened.
"'Rashy', huh? So, where'd you come from then?~ You're not like all'eez washed up, unsigh'ly blaggards~" Rivet was leaning closer, her eyes unfocused, and a blazing heat Ratchet had never seen before dancing furiously in her sapphire eyes. Ratchet inched away, deeper into their booth, his eyes wide and his ears drooping slightly. The look in her eyes made the monster in Ratchet's chest leap excitedly quite as much as it made his stomach squirm. Was she… doing what he thought she was? No! This wasn't her! It was…
"R-Rivet? Wh-what happened?"
Rivet giggled again, inching closer.
"Jus' a li'l competishun, sweetheart~ The basserd there thought he could down more lineade an' me - " she gestured back at the unconscious thug on the floor. "- sucker foun'iss offa imperial guard - "
Rivet drew something from a pocket and waved it teasingly before the male's eyes, bringing it within an inch of his nose. It was a databoard, and Ratchet registered, as the little block of silicon and copper waved in front of him, the label marked [CONFIDENTIAL] across its front.
" – said iff'I cud down more 'an he cud, he'd gimme it." Rivet finished, putting the little board back into her pocket and giggling again.
Ratchet's ears perked back up.
"That's… Th-that's great Riv!" he said, still inching away. She was still moving closer to him. "We can take that back to base! Have Clank decipher whatever's on it! B-but we still gotta find Zedderek first! I just learned what-"
"Oh forgeddabout Zeddy an' *hic!* an' the base… Let's talk about us for a while~" "A-a-about us…?"
His stomach did something between leap excitedly and roll in fear. He fought to keep his mind on the mission as she drew closer, fought to remind himself she wasn't in her right mind.
Ratchet felt his back press against the wall, and the female Lombax leaned onto his shoulder and sighed.
Ratchet's face blazed red hot. Part of him, namely that purring monster in
his chest, and the part of his mind
that so longed for her, was reeling in
delight, sending waves of dopamine
to every nerve in his body. The other
part, the one that remained
earthbound and which argued sense
and reason (usually in Clank's voice)
told him they couldn't be doing this,
not here, not now! They had to find
Zedderek, they had to find out what
he knew about the Solar Hammer,
they had to know about-
Rivet's good hand pressed gently
against his chest, and Ratchet froze,
his mind suspended in limbo.
"Yeah, just us fer-a bit… I thought I
was'a last one-a our kind left~ You
musta thought the same, didn'ya?~
All alone, without some'n of yer
own kind to spend time with~"
She began tracing indistinguishable
shapes over his chest with a finger,
and Ratchet felt goosebumps
erupting all over his body. She hiccupped again, placing her hand flat over his heart. He couldn't lie to himself; a part of him wanted this to continue. It felt so good… It made his heart flutter and his head spin in euphoria… But he wouldn't allow it. Rivet wasn't in her right mind; she'd… NEVER act like this of her own volition! He loved her, and as much as a part of him wanted to stay here, with her snuggling up to him and tracing shapes over his chest, he would not take advantage of her.
"R-Rivet…! We can't… we can't do this! N-not here! Not now! We gotta go and-"
"'Go'? You *hic!* bet we gotta go~ You an' me's got impor'nt bu'niss to take care of~ Yunno what I'm talkin' about, riiight, han'some?"
Her hand slid down his chest and rested over his crotch.
It was like an explosion went off in his head, sending a confused mixture of shock, pleasure, euphoria, and terror through his body all at the same time. His pupils dilated and his ears flared, and he could have sworn he felt the temperature in the room rocket up to boiling point as he felt his body reacting to her touch.
"Fff-fuck… FUCK!" Ratchet gasped, trying desperately to free himself from her grasp while trying not to knock into her face as he wriggled and squirmed in his seat.
"Thass'ee idea hotstuff~"
"(It's not her, it's not her! Keep it together Ratchet, it's the limeade, she's not doing this!)"
"Ratchet? What are you and Rivet doing?"
Clank's voice sounded in his ear, and the male could have sworn he was dying. He had completely forgotten that Clank and Kit could see them through the security cameras!
"Ah, n-nothing pal! R-Rivet's just...! She's been…! Whaddaya want?!"
"The stage!" Kit said sharply.
Ratchet looked over Rivet's head and out of their booth to the stage several levels below.
A new DJ had taken the stage, also Kerwanian in appearance like the last DJ, but knew at once this was their target. Why else would he have an escort of deadly-looking body guards all around him?
Ratchet half-reluctantly, have gratefully pushed Rivet off him. She giggled again as Ratchet pulled his feet up from below the table and jumped over her out of the booth.
"Smoooooooth~" she sighed, standing up with him, staggering slightly, and hiccupping again. "Does'iss we goin' back'a your place?~"
Ratchet gritted his teeth, swearing fluently in his head. He had to get her someplace safe, fast so he could apprehend Zedderek. But before he could do or say anything, there was an explosion from the hallway leading into the club, and the double doors were blasted across the arena. Lowering his arms from his head and turning back from making sure Rivet was okay, his heart skipped several beats. Heralds were storming into the room, firing their blasters at the ceiling and over the heads of the crowd, all of whom gave cries of fear and fell to the ground for cover.
"THERE HE IS!" one of the soldiers bellowed, and they sprinted for the DJ with one accord, aiming their weapons directly at him.
"Take 'em out! TAKE 'EM OUT! Don't let 'em near me!" Zedderek cried, and he turned on the spot and ran across the stage, narrowly dodging a fiery blast as he bolted through a door to backstage.
This attack was matched by a positive volley of rapid-fire pulse rifle shots from the bodyguards, which flashed through the air and striking several of the Heralds who all fell senseless to the ground. Shouts and the sound of plasma blasts tore through the air, mingling now with the trance music that continued to boom through the sound system. Ratchet grabbed Rivet's arm and pulled her along, drawing his burst pistol as he went, and keeping his head low as they ran.
"Awww, these jerks're killin' the mood!" she said, sounding angry for the first time. She too pulled a burst pistol, and Ratchet was on the verge of telling her to wait when she opened fire, and to the male's utter amazement she hit every single Herald she aimed her weapon at; not a single shot missed.
The Heralds turned, and Ratchet saw their six, catlike pupils dilate as their yellow eyes bulged in recognition.
"It's the LOMBAX! Whoever let the runt in without holding onto them will be—wait, TWO of them?!"
Ratchet took advantage of the shouting Herald's distraction, planting a flaming orb of plasma directly between its eyes, shattering its helmet and causing the beast to fall senseless to the floor.
The other Heralds redirected their fire at once, now aiming for Ratchet and Rivet. He threw
himself behind a table and pulled it over, giving them some shelter, and heard the metal block clang and ping with hundreds of attacks.
"(No Herald witnesses…)" Ratchet thought to himself. He knew they had to chase after Zedderek, but that first Herald had spotted Rivet. He could not allow even a single imperial soldier to learn of her existence; Ratchet knew Tachyon would make her his priority target, knew he would use her to get to him.
"Lemme at 'em, Rashy! These basserds ruined our moment!"
Ratchet rolled his eyes, but as the stream of blaster shots paused, Ratchet released her arm and both Lombaxes dashed out of cover.
Ratchet sprinted across one of the upper levels, directing fire upon the Heralds below him, sliding behind another overturned table as several of the soldiers turned and made ready to attack once more, their weapons finally having cooled off. Caught behind cover and watching as two more Heralds approached from the left and the right with antimatter forceshields and photon sabers, Ratchet directed his swingshot at the light fixtures above and was lifted from the ground just in time as the two Heralds swung their blades downward, causing the floor where the Lombax had been crouching moments before blazing white hot and scorched. Ratchet landed atop the suspended light fixture and threw his wrench at the chains that held it up. The tool soared in an arc, breaking the restraints and causing the large collection of steel, raritanium, and the assorted lights to fall with a resounding, shattering CRASH atop the Heralds below, killing four at once.
"Not bad Rashy!~" Rivet called, her speech still slurred, her eyes still fogged, but incredibly still fighting and shooting with perfect precision. "But thass muh fourteenth!~" she added, as with
a flourish, she fired the Skull Crusher at a line of Heralds, decapitating all six of them with one shot.
Ratchet couldn't believe his ears… she was beating him?! He would have to step his game up!
"Hey wait… those are the furballs the boss warned us about!"
Ratchet turned at the shout. Now the bodyguards were trying to kill them!
Ratchet threw himself at Rivet, knocking her out of the way as the three bodyguards remaining now joined in with the few Heralds left in trying to kill them.
"You're eager aren'ya Rashy? We're bein' washed!~" Rivet giggled.
The two Lombaxes had finally stopped rolling across the floor, leaving Ratchet on top of her.
Fighting back the embarrassment he felt, he rolled off her and pulled her to her feet. Their recent tumble seemed to have unsteadied the drunken female, and she staggered before falling to her knees, hiccupping.
Taking his stand in front of her, Ratchet threw a handful of shatterbombs at the few hostiles that remained, and with an echoing blast, they at last stood alone in the wreckage.
"Are you all right?!" Ratchet asked fearfully as Rivet tried to stand, staggered, and fell to her knees once more.
"As long as you're here~"
Ratchet ignored the soaring in his chest at her words and pulled her to her feet.
"C'mon! We gotta get Zedderek! Clank! We lost him! Where'd he go?!"
"Oh, do not worry about Zedderek, Ratchet. Come quickly, he is on the roof!"
"What? But I thought the rooftop access was sealed!"
"It was, from the outside. Now hurry, we have very little time!"
Ratchet hurried through the backstage door, Rivet stumbling slightly behind him, and they came to a flight of stairs leading to the upper floors.
Ratchet waited, not trusting her to go up the stairs by herself while she was so… tipsy, and after a slight delay, the two burst through the door and onto the roof at last.
"What the-?!"
Zedderek was on the ground before them, his hologuise disabled, his arms tied behind his back, and his legs bound together, struggling slightly, but hopelessly bound.
"Oh, look who decided to show up, Clank." Said Kit rather smugly.
Ratchet was staring at Zedderek. There was a large bump on the top of his head and he was looking up at them all in terror.
"How'd'ja…? What happened?"
"He arrived about ten minutes ago and parked his aerobike up here before descending to street level." Kit replied. "We suspect he anticipated trouble, for he left his bike here as a means of escape."
"We both saw no reason for him to leave without us, so I took the liberty of 'borrowing' his keys, which he left in the ignition." Said Clank.
"We saw you were too busy fighting to give chase, so I jumped Zedderek when he came through the door." Kit added, sounding rather proud. "I do think a promotion is in order for this."
"Indeed." Clank said, and both bots chuckled
Ratchet stared at him.
"Brilliant! All right let's get-"
"Hold on-" Kit said suddenly. She had approached the female Lombax who was giggling softly, her hiccups becoming more frequent. "Rivet…? What has happened to her?"
"Ratchet, did you… do something to her when you were sitting together?"
Ratchet's face burned. So they definitely had seen them then… However, it sounded like neither bot were aware of anything Rivet had said or… or done. Ratchet shook it off.
"Of course not! She… Rivet got into a… Y'know what? It's a long story. What matters is she got something important off a thug in there, something that belonged to a high-ranking official by the sounds of it!"
"'Something from a high-ranking official'?" Clank repeated, sounding definitely interested. "Well let us see it then!"
But before Ratchet could say another word, his large ears flicked up at the sound of approaching, whirring blades. The rooftop was suddenly lit as a spotlight flared in the distance – a spotlight of a class B imperial gunship. Not pausing to think, Ratchet tore off his cap, making the short scruffy fur on the top of his head spring up.
Rivet giggled again. "That's cute, Rashy; why dun'ya leave it off more offen?~" she asked, and Ratchet's face burned and a slight embarrassed smile curled his lips in spite of himself.
He flattened Rivets ears and snapped his cap over her head to hide her ears from view before turning back to the aerobike. It would be a lot more difficult to distinguish a second Lombax from a distance without her visible ears…
"We can talk about what she got off the thug later! Clank, gimme the keys!" Ratchet said urgently.
Clank and Kit stared at him.
"What, pray tell, was that about Ratchet?" the silver bot asked. Ratchet, after all, never took his cap off except for when he went to bed, took showers, or went for a swim.
"Ratchet, your headfur is a mess!" said Kit.
Ratchet nearly snorted. It wasn't the first time he had been told this of course; Clank often times urged Ratchet to try and make it lie flat, but it never did, no matter what he did to it. It just… grew that way.
"Later, all right?! I thought we had 'very little time'?"
Clank opened his chassis and the keys to the aerobike slid out into the palm of his hand. The first gunship was getting closer now, and Ratchet saw, reflecting off the glassy surfaces of the surrounding skyscrapers, other gunships on approach.
"Dun' worry guys, I got'iss…" Rivet said, staggering forward, but Ratchet cut across her.
"Like hell you do!" he said, stepping forward and taking the keys from Clank. Rivet may be a superb shot even when under the influence, but unbalanced as she was right now, there was no way he would trust her to pilot anything. "Rivet, take Zedderek, and hold onto him tightly, we gotta get 'em back to base alive!"
Ratchet sprung onto the aero bike, and Clank hopped onto his back, Kit onto Rivet's, who bent down, nearly falling to her knees again, but managing to remain stable enough to lift their target onto a shoulder before she got on the bike behind Ratchet and Clank.
"Clank, send Phantom that signal! And all of you hang on!"
The aerobike's engine roared to life and Ratchet punched the throttle.
They tore off from the rooftop of Club Esoteric and into the city, the gunships in hot pursuit.
"Missiles incoming!"
Ratchet swerved sharply to the left, and the missiles flew passed them and down to the streets below, the light from the explosion illuminating the entire block as citizens ran for cover.
"On your right!"
Out of the corner of his eye, Ratchet saw Heralds on aerobikes of their own racing toward them,
each soldier paired with another wielding a combuster.
Ratchet accelerated as the Heralds merged onto their airway, scattering civilian vehicles as they zigzagged through the sky to avoid being struck by the glowing, fiery projectiles.
"Rivet, they're pressuring us too hard, take 'em out!" Ratchet shouted over his shoulder as he was forced to diverge onto an alternate route when two imperial aerobikes raced ahead, blocking their way forward.
"Okie dokie!"
The female Lombax twisted rather dangerously in her seat and returned fire. She struck the driver of one bike behind them, and the vehicle fell from the sky to explode into a thousand pieces of twisted metal and flame, and she took out the gunner of another bike, forcing the soldier to pull off the offensive.
"Excellent shooting!" Kit cried.
"Look out!"
"Don't worry, I see it!"
One of the gunships had darted out from behind a building as they raced toward the end of a street and began spraying at the street below, ready to intercept and catch them in the fire. Ratchet swerved again, diverting them onto a grav-train rail, and Zedderek's muffled shouts of fear echoing behind him.
"You do realize what you have just done, yes?" Clank shouted.
"'Course I do! It's a shortcut!" but when Clank didn't respond, he added – "Don't worry! Grav trains don't run this time of day, remember?"
Right on cue there was blindingly bright light and a blaring sound from the tunnel ahead and Kit gave a shout of fear. Ratchet veered off the rail just in time as a grav-train came hurtling out from the tunnel they had been so close to entering.
"I think they have changed their schedule under their new ruler!" Clank observed, and Ratchet scoffed, accelerating again as the gunships reappeared ahead, along with the aerobikes, forcing Ratchet to spiral downward to a lower street.
"Hey Phantom!" Ratchet called, touching the communicator in his chest harness. "We got hostiles hot on our tail! Feel like lending a hand?!"
"Already here, Ratchet!"
The Lombax turned. Sure enough, the stolen imperial starship they had arrived on was racing toward them, their attackers completely unaware that the ship they believed was coming to aid them was in fact there to stop them.
"Hey fishtanks! Little gift from the Alliance!"
Phantom opened fire on the gunships first, which exploded in a cloud of fire and smoke, sending debris in every direction. The Herald gunners on the aerobikes realized what was happening and wheeled about on their seats, directing fire at the starship above them, but their blasters were no better than a pellet gun versus a tank. Phantom directed fire at the aerobikes, which were torn to
shreds instantly, giving the heroes some breathing room at last.
Ratchet slowed down as they approached a flat rooftop, Phantom going ahead and landing to be ready to pick them up.
He hopped off the bike and turned to help Rivet as her feet hit the ground and she staggered, dropping Zedderek to the ground who grunted with pain on impact with the hard surface.
"Now that-" Rivet said, her eyes spinning, "…was a fuggin' ride~" And she fell to the ground, unsensible.
"Rivet!"
Ratchet, Clank, and Kit dashed forward and Ratchet fell to his knees beside her, his heart pounding in terror.
"She has passed out Ratchet, do not worry. She has a solid pulse." Said Kit, and Ratchet's head spun with relief.
"Hey, not to rush you guys or anything, but backup's on the way!"
The Lombax looked around. Sure enough, a good ten or more gunships were visible in the distance, streaking toward the rooftop on which they stood.
"Phantom, take Zedderek! Clank, Kit, put in the coordinates to the Phoenix!"
Ratchet bent down and lifted Rivet into his arms. He sprinted aboard the starship and ran to a pullout medical bed, laying Rivet on it tenderly and strapping in beside her as, with a deafening blast, they rocketed out of Corson V's atmosphere and back into the endless expanse of space.
