Chapter 7: Umbris
Upon landing on Umbris, Qwark is waiting for the four heroes in a helicopter above them.
Qwark: Welcome to my challenge course. Now is your chance to prove yourself strong and brave, like me, heh-heh. Conquer it and you'll join in my fight against evil.
Ratchet: (shouting to him) Haven't we done enough already?
Qwark: (struggling to hear him over the helicopter blades) What? I can't hear you?
Ratchet: (shouting even louder) I said, haven't…we…done…
Qwark: (still struggling) Sorry, I'm still having trouble. Tell me later.
Ratchet: (shouting) Later?! We might be dead by then!
Qwark: What?!
Ratchet: Alright, guys, let's get going.
IF: Be careful, something's not right here…
Xoruxshy: Yeah, why would he not just come down here and meet us instead of staying in the helicopter?
Ratchet: We should still try and reach the end.
Xoruxshy: You're right. Plus I've got a new Blaster to try out. (Holds the Squirtle Blaster)
IF: Yeah, and you and I have got new weapons, too Ratchet. (Equips her Water Qatars)
So, with that said, the group uses the Varia-Targets to reach the first half of the obstacle course, where their first obstacle is a device that throws bombs at a blitzkrieg speed. Realizing that this might eat up all their ammunition, the group lets Ratchet take the lead by using his Bomb Glove to destroy it in one go. Halfway across the bridge to the other side, another grenade thrower constantly spews out grenades. Xoruxshy destroys the machine with a pressurized water bullet from her Squirtle Blaster, and they almost cross the bridge, before stopping at the sight of some levitatng mines.
IF: He really IS trying to kill us, isn't he?!
IF, able to get close enough to destroy the mines without being blown up, slices them in half, turning them into water, before coming back. Their next obstacle is a bullet shooter in the ground. Ratchet jumps over the bullets, getting close enough to shut it down with his Bomb Glove temporarily, but long enough for Xoruxshy and IF to get past. On their climb up the platforms beyond, they find another mine, but Xoruxshy shoots them, turning them into water before they fall into the swamp below. The next bridge has mines levitating and traveling on a set path over it. In order to get across safely, Xoruxshy shoots these too.
Xoruxshy: (shouting) Clean-up on bridge two!
IF shakes her head at Xoruxshy's antics before the heroes move on to the next set of obstacles, being two grenade launcher machines. IF quickly dodges through the grenade bombardments and slices into the machines with her Qatars, turning them into water. Upon climbing the next set of stairs, they are surprised by two levitating mines, but Ratchet quickly knocks them away with his Charmander-modified Omni-Wrench.
Ratchet: That was close.
On the next bridge, there are a bunch of levitating mines traveling a set path, so Xoruxshy just snipes each one with her blaster, and beyond that there is a set of timed switches locking a wall. Xoruxshy just unlocks this barricade with her Keyblade, frying the timer switches. Beyond this is an area filled with grenade launchers. IF quickly dispatches each of these with her Qatars, all while hitting the switches. The next bridge has loosened panels that fall when stepped on, so they just jumped over what ones they could. But past this bridge set, they are immediately shot at by one of the turrets. Dodging the bullets the best they can, Ratchet and the girls get past it and whack it to shut it off temporarily. Finally getting past it after being shot at repeatedly due to the barbed wire fencing, the heroes use their Swingshots to get to the next area. Here they see a locked door, and a sneaky set of switches on a ledge behind the building. They quickly unlock this door to find a bolt cache, with a Gold Bolt as well. The area on the other end is a maze filled with turrets and mines, with a trio of timed switches. Not wanting to bother with this, Xoruxshy unlocks the door with the Qwark Emblem on it to allow the group to move on to an area with even more mines.
Ratchet: You know what? Screw it. I'm pulling out the RYNO.
Ratchet then proceeds to blow all of the mines up with the RYNO. Moving on to an area made for the Hydrodisplacer, Ratchet drains the water out of the first pool to prevent the giant fish inside from eating them. Of course it's still able to wade on its weird leg-like fins, so Ratchet just shoots at it with his Blaster, allowing them to get into the next section, unfortunately blocked by two more walking fish. Xoruxshy takes her turn at blasting them to bits this time. Climbing up to the next Hydrodisplacer drain, they see more walking fishes. IF jumps down and slices them to ribbons so that Ratchet can fill in the pool. Before continuing on, they see a second Gold Bolt below them in a walled off section. Collecting this and exiting this area, they return to the area where Ratchet snapped and used the RYNO. Upon heading back, the heroes cross the pool to the next drain, so they could take out the fish there and move on. Inside the second layer of this HQ, Ratchet drains the huge pool halfway, before he and the girls Swingshot their way to the other side. They then take out the fish in the circular room before Ratchet fills the pool, allowing them to open the final gate. Upon reaching the inner sanctum, they find Qwark waiting.
Qwark: Well, well. You four continue to surprise me. (Jumps onto a platform that raises behind him) Step into the Ring of Heroes and I will finally give you what you deserve.
Clank (stepping into the strange Ring): Ratchet, Xoruxshy, IF, this is no time for you to become cautious. We have reached our goal.
Ratchet: I don't know. There's something fishy going on here.
Xoruxshy: His tone has changed...
IF: He's up to something.
Qwark: Listen to your little metal friend, Ratchet, girls. Your destiny is mere steps away.
Ratchet: It's just, something doesn't seem right.
Clank: (drags the three of them into the ring) This is it! Qwark is going to help us stop Chairman Drek.
Qwark: Why thank you Clank. You've been most helpful. (Presses a button that drops them into the pit below)
Location: Snagglebeast Pit
Ratchet: Oof!
Xoruxshy: Ouch, I think I landed on my keys…
IF: I think I broke one of my cell phones…
(Clank floats down using his helipack, landing on Ratchet, who shoves him off in anger)
Ratchet: Get offa me you idiot!
Qwark: Heh, heh, heh. I love it when a plan comes together. (His outfit changes to a purple and black color-schemed outfit with the Q on his hero outfit warping into a Q surrounding an empty Heartless Emblem)
Clank: What do you mean?
Ratchet: What do you think he means genius? He's not going to help us; he's going to kill us.
Qwark: You catch on quick. Although there is one problem with your hypothesis, I'm not going to kill you.
Ratchet: You're not?
Qwark: No. He is. (Points to a Heartless Blargian Snagglebeast)
Xoruxshy: Isn't that the Blargian Snagglebeast from the Infobot?
Qwark: Yes it is.
Clank: But…why?
Qwark: But why? It's really not that difficult to decipher. I'm the official spokesman for Drek's new planet. I can't have you four getting in the way of my comeback.
Ratchet: This isn't over Qwark!
Qwark: No… but it will be soon.
(Ratchet pulls out the RYNO, and Xoruxshy and IF pull out their respective weapons before going into HDD Mode)
Qwark: What?!
(Ratchet unleashes a full salvo of RYNO missiles on the Heartless, damaging it quite a bit before it puts up a shield and starts charging at them while shooting laser bolts)
Qwark: How do you have that RYNO?! Get them, Snagglebeast!
(The Snagglebeast chases the heroes across the battle arena before stepping onto a bridge that can't hold its weight, causing it to sink into the lava, burning it before lowering its shield as it jumps back on land. Xoruxshy as Mobius Heart uses her Phantom Ruby's powers to summon a dragon made of Keyblades before launching them at the Snagglebeast, damaging it to make it raise its shield again and chase after them)
Qwark: This isn't fair! You shouldn't be this powerful!
(The Snagglebeast falls into the lava again, before jumping out once more. IF as Mobius Sister uses Phantom Demon Dance to damage the Snagglebeast heavily once again causing it to raise its shield a third time before chasing them again.)
Qwark: I should probably get out of here…
(This time when the Snagglebeast sinks into the lava, it doesn't reappear and instead a huge Heart is released. A Keyhole appears in the center of the arena created by a sudden lava geyser that shoots out of the lava itself. Xoruxshy seals it and they leave the area, finding an infobot)
Clank: I wonder what that infobot is for?
Ratchet: Maybe it can replace you!
Infobot
Commando: We're pinned down! We're pinned down! The ships are hammering our position from the air! (A blast hits near him) That was a little TOO close! We need support, NOW! Actually, I need support. My entire battalion went AWOL and left me to fight this war on my own! If the enemy doesn't kill those guys, I will! (Another blast hits near him, closer this time) I'm not gonna last much longer! Requesting immediate assistance! Over and out!
Clank: Those are Drek's ships destroying that planet. We must help that Commando.
Ratchet: Are you serious!? That's it! I am outta here! Captain Qwark is gonna be sorry he messed with me!
Clank: This is not about Captain Qwark anymore. There are innocent lives being lost.
Ratchet: Yeah, well I'm done with this hero stuff. I've got my own agenda now!
Clank: Ratchet, this is not like you.
Ratchet: What do you know about me?! What do you know about Xoruxshy and IF?! You've spent this whole time looking for Captain Qwark! You don't know anything about me!
Clank: I know that you will do the right thing.
Ratchet: Well, the thing I want to do is find Qwark! (Gets into a ship that has Qwark's logo on it and tries to start it) How do you start this stupid thing!?
Clank: Have you forgotten? You need a robotic ignition system. I will start the ship if you agree to help that Commando.
Ratchet: So, blackmail, is it? Fine. Just shut up and start the ship. Xoruxshy, IF, meet us there, or don't. I don't really care right now.
The two groups then separate and head for the planet in the infobot.
Meanwhile, on Supreme Executive Chairman Drek's flagship…
Drek: Back so soon?
Qwark: Oh… you're talking to me…
Drek: I'm not in the habit of talking to myself, you buffoon. Did you get rid of them?
Qwark: Yes! …no…well I… I had this plan and I thought-
Drek: You thought! You thought! I do the thinking around here, you slug brained idiot! I simply needed you to eliminate those two nuisances before they can cause any real trouble!
Qwark: But I wanted to-
Drek: Do you still want to be the highly paid spokesman for my planet?
Qwark: Yeah…
Drek: Then the next time I send you to do a job, I want RESULTS! Now get out of my sight!
Quest Complete! Finish Qwark's Gauntlet: Reward - Kantonian Rattata DNA Scan
Quest Complete! Defeat the Blargian Snagglebeast Heartless: Reward - Spearow DNA Scan
Area Complete: Reward - Umbris Mirage
Squirtle Blaster upgraded to Wartortle Blaster
Water Qatars upgraded to Water Qatars +1