Clank: Rilgar

"Alright, I'm assuming that we're all ready." Clank declared as Ruby and Yang descended from the building.

"I'd say so," Yang replied, "Professor?"

"Doctor, Xiao Long," Oobleck retorted, "And, after a brief conversation with Mr. Clank, and one phone call, I do believe I'm content to continue."

"Wait," Blake exclaimed, "Who did you call?"

"Why, Professor Goodwitch, of course."

"And…you told them?"

"But of course. I elaborated that, at this current point, intervention from Atlesian forces would hamper discussions, and that I will also confirm the validity of Mr. Clank's claims of the Grimm Salem."

"How much do you want to bet," Yang whispered to Ruby, "He worded it so fast, that Glynda didn't even know what he was saying?"

Ruby giggled as everyone sat down around the campfire.

""Well, we're either going to be fine, or have an army on top of us in about ten minutes. How's your team, Mr. Clank?"

"They are doing fine, Miss Schnee. Doc has been experimenting on the local Grimm wildlife."

"By 'experimenting', do you mean the evil doctor way, or-"

An explosion could be heard in the distance, silencing Yang's question.

"Depends on what you classify as 'evil doctor'."

Yang promptly kept quiet.

"Now, if I remember correctly, we were just about to reach planet Rilgar. Captain Qwark was currently located in Blackwater City."

"Mom," Ratchet commented, their ship descending to Rilgar, "Do we have any landing pads for Blackwater?"

Summer shook her head in frustration. "No. Seems the entire city's on lockdown. Those amoeboids must be doing some serious damage."

"Dang. Well, we can't just fly randomly through the city. Too many chances at either being shot down, or accidently crashing into a car, or another ship."

"Most likely the former," Clank clarified, "Summer's assessment that the city being on lockdown was an understatement. Anyone caught outside is considered a target."

"Alright then," pressing a few more buttons, the radar pings, "There! It's outside the city, so we'll have to do some island hopping, but there's a safe spot."

Arriving at the landing pad, the trio disembarked, seeing the city skyline in the distance.

"Hey mom, think we could swim there?"

Summer looked over the water, seeing the fins of several large creatures.

"Getting some serious Maws feelings here."

"Maws?" Clank questioned.

"Just an old shark movie."

"Is that a serious question?"

"Nah, I checked. Sea life here's brutal as all get out. I'd rather try finding water on Veldin than take a dive in there."

"Thought so. But, we've got two paths. One leads into the sewer system, the other leads into the city itself."

"We must make haste," Clank declares, "We do not know if Captain Qwark is still here. And, if he is, we do not know how long he'll stay."

"Relax," Ratchet retorted, "They said he would give out the trophy for the hoverboard tournament. So long as it's still going on, he'll be fine."

"That is highly naive. Quark is a hero, so, once he discovers the Blarg are destroying planets, he wouldn't find something as trivial as a tournament to be of relative consequence."

"Not if you're more celebrity than hero." Ratchet whispered, though no one heard.

"Wait," Weiss interrupted, "Is that why you said that Pyrrha is nothing like Qwark?"

Clank slumped his arms, "In a sense, yes. Captain Qwark used to be a great hero, but the celebrity status got to his head."

"Great," Yang drawled, "So he's likely out of shape, which means mom, you and Ratchet had to do all the work."

"You…aren't wrong." Clank was not looking forward to how Qwark betrayed them.

Especially what he did to Summer.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, Clank. So, who wants the sewers, and who's taking on the entire city?" Ratchet crossed his arms, expecting the answer.

'Man, I am not looking forward to swimming through sewage.'

"I'll take the sewers." Summer declared.

Ratchet did a double take.

"Ratchet, you and Clank go into the city."

Ratchet did a triple take. "Wait, what?!"

"I do agree with Ratchet's assessment, Mrs. Rose. Logically, if you wanted to keep your son safe, wouldn't it be better if he went into the sewers.

"First, the sewers are likely a tightly compacted area. Not so much room to maneuver. Two, which is actually the second half of point one, who knows how many ambush spots could be down there, especially with a city under an infestation. Three, with the city being a warzone, Ratchet can use the two opposing sides to beat each other up, then take down the winner."

Ratchet and Clank looked at each other, wide eyed, confused, and amazed.

"And there's Summer classic genius moments." Oobleck exclaimed, smirking. Ruby and Yang shared the same expressions as the robot and Lombax. Neither of them would've thought of that. At least, not on the spot.

"Okay," Ratchet declared, "That makes perfect sense. So, are you sure you'll be good?"

Summer shivered, "It wouldn't be the first time I had to wade through muck."

Summer then turned around-

"Hold on, take this!" Ratchet tossed the Hydrodisplacer.

Summer nodded, locking the device to her back, and using the swingshot to head towards the sewer pipe.

"Do you believe her shoulder will hamper her efforts?"

"I want to say no, but, after that big bug…You are right, though. If Qwark doesn't stay here, we'll need to split up to cover more ground. Come on."

With that, Ratchet bought the new Mine Glove, and the duo proceeded to island hop, fighting security forces and the occasional amoeboid. Nothing a few mini-bots and a flamethrower couldn't fix. As they entered an elevator, entering the city proper. Exiting, Ratchet saw several large amoeboids roaming the area.

"That's a bit much," Ratchet mumbled, then seeing a pressure plate, "Well, let's see what this does."

Activating it, two sets of doors opened, and dozens of security forces swarmed the area, causing a huge battle.

"Ratchet, I would recommend evasion."

"Not a bad call. If we can get past them without fighting, all the better for Blackwater."

With that, Ratchet skirted the edge of the battlefield, as security finished off the last amoeboid. A nearby taxi car was registered for downtown.

"Well, it's the only path we have left."

Riding it, they found downtown in a completely warzone. Unfortunately, there was no sneaking past this group, so Ratchet was forced to open fire, taking out both security and amoeboids. When the noise quieted down, Ratchet began to walk towards the next pressure plate to continue on. However, one of the manholes briefly opened up, revealing a tall, green alien, with a red visor.

"Hey, Mister, you alright."

"Yeah, yeah," the man declared with a gravel-like voice, "Hey, for the save, how about a deal?"

"What kind of deal?"

"RYNO for your robot…trade ya."

Ratchet cupped his chin, almost like he was actually thinking it.

"Sorry, he's not for sale. Unless you put in a Robotic Ignition System?"

Clank put his hands on the side of his chest, annoyed.

"Kidding. But, what's a RYNO, anyway?"

"Rip Ya n New One."

Ratchet did a double take, narrowing his eyes, "Mind running that by me, again?"

"R. Y. N. O. Rip Ya a New One."

"Why," Clank declared, "That's the most powerful missile launcher in the galaxy!"

"What's it worth?" Ratchet question.

"A lot of bolts. Only one was ever made, and the world it was built on was conquered by the Blarg. He must've stolen it from them."

The dealer looked offended, "Stolen?! Look, trash can, did I say about it being hot? You'd better watch your mouth or I'll-"

"Let me guess, Rip Ya a New One. How much?"

"Well, I was going to give you a discount for saving my hide. But, after your friend bad mouthed me, the price is back to normal. 150K bolts."

Normally, he'd call that a ripoff, but, after his mom's business investment.

'Chump change.' Ratchet smirked. He pulled out his Gadgetron device. "We have a deal."

After making a quick transaction, the dealer pulled under his cloak…a massive, nine barreled rocket launcher as big as Ratchet himself! It seemed clear the dealer was struggling to hold it.

"Whoa!" Ruby exclaimed, "That's a big gun."

"Yes, and its destructive capabilities were second to none on our first adventure."

"Wait," Yang interrupted, "First adventure? How many did you go on?!"

"That would be spoiling." 'Also, not to self, don't mention that the weapons just get crazier after Drek.'

"And where did a smuggler like him get a weapon like that?"

"I am unsure how he managed to steal from the Blarg."

"Catch."

Ratchet caught the RYNO, but was struggling to stand up. He engaged his Aura, which made holding it easier.

"Man, this thing's heavy."

"Yeah? Try carrying it around in your trench coat for two months."

"Thank you, Sir," Clank commented, "We'll be sure to tell everyon-HMPH!"

Ratchet put his hand over Clank's mouth.

"Whoa, hold it there, buddy. There are two kinds of dealers. The ones that want to be known, and the ones that don't. I'm guessing our friend here's the latter kind, right?"

The dealer huffed, "Well, your partner seemed to have a better head on his shoulder than you, tin can."

Ratchet frowned, "Okay, insult him again, and…" he gripped the RYNO tightly, "Do I even need to say it."

The dealer's eyes widened, and he backed up, "Yous two have a nice day." And he ran off.

Ratchet went over to the pressure plate, and opened the door to the elevator, where two guards ran out to attack. The automatic targeting system locked on to them. All Ratchet need to is pull the trigger.

The next moment, nine missiles fired, obliterating the two guards instantly.

While everyone was wide eyed at the level of destruction, Ruby was slowly starting to shake with excitement. Clank, meanwhile, was internally horrified.

'Yep.' he thought, 'I've just doomed the universe.'

"Now that's what I'm talking about!"

"Ratchet, for the sake of this planet's protectors, could you perhaps…refrain from overindulging."

"Yeah, yeah. Don't kick them while they're down just for doing their job."

The two continued their way, encountering more and more enemy forces, even as security brought in giant incineration tanks. Entering a final elevator, they reached the sign up area for the Hoverboard tournament, with a model ready for their arrival.

"Welcome," she happily declared, "To the Hovercon Intergalactic Hoverboard Competition! Captain Qwark's giving away a brand new Platinum Zoomerator to the winner of this competition."

"Hmm," Ratchet contemplated, "So, not only will I get a device to summon allies, but I can get a boost from doing tricks? Sign me up!"

"Wait, how does that work?"

"It's actually quite simple, Miss Belladonna. Simply put, it's able to take the energy generated from rapid movement while off of a designated surface, and generate it into thrust energy."

"You…you literally turned tricks into a form of fuel?"

"In a sense, that is correct. In fact, the concept of using energy from unorthodox sources would lead to the creation of many…unique weapons, chief amongst them being the Groovitron."

"The Groo-?" Weiss stopped herself, "Wait, I don't even want to know what it does."

Much Earlier

Summer fired her ax into the swingshot, and made her way into the sewer lines. Entering the elevator, she came to a section where the sewage water drained. Unfortunately, several of the local wildlife seemed to have found their way. Bit enough to swallow her whole, Summer initially was going to drain the pool, when she saw the only exit, a pipeline, out of the water.

Smirking, she put the device back, and threw her ax, first to the middle platform, then to the pipeline. After smashing a few of the grates, she reached a new room. This time the pipeline was underwater, so she attached the Hydro to the connecting port. At a rapid pace, the water level descended, until it was at ankle level. Detaching the Hydro, Summer was amazed. The device didn't feel like she just drained a small lake into it.

"Such incredible technology!" Oobleck would've frothed at the mouth, if he wasn't more professional, "And that's just some basic tech!?"

"I wouldn't say 'basic', but it's certainly not the most advanced piece of tech we've come across."

Dropping down, Summer broke the next grate, then entered a circular room. Teleporting up, she found the only way out was blocked, with big, red letters saying.

WARNING, WATER AT IRREGULAR LEVELS, PLEASE STABILIZE

'Well, that's annoying.'

Going back down the pipe, she reattached the Hydro, and put the water back. Summer held her breath, and swam through the pipe, returning to where she left. The doorway was now open, with a dark, grimy tunnel downward.

Summer groaned, gently touching her cloak. "First you get torn by a vacuum, now this? Sorry, girl."

Summer then slid down the tunnel, her clothes getting muck and grim everywhere. Landing with a THUD, she was in a much smaller room, with a pressure plate as the only exit. Bringing out her ax, she raised the weapon, intent on shooting whatever's on the other side of the door. Stepping on the plate, the door opened…to noone there.

But Summer wouldn't have noticed, because, the moment the door opened, two pipes adjacent to her began pouring water in at a rapid rate, making the water level rise.

"NOPE!"

Everyone turned to Blake's outburst, as the girl was slightly shaking.

"Um, don't take this the wrong way, Blake," Ruby cautiously began, "But, do you inherit certain traits from being a Cat Faunus?"

Yang bursted into laughter, while Weiss looked unamused. Blake merely put her head in her hands.

"Oh, HELL NO!" Summer roared, sprinting as fast as she could, "I will not have my obitu-obirta-ob-Screw it, I'm not dying here!"

Summer ran up the ramp, trying to outrun the water. Luckily, her teleportation certainly helped. But, if she took too long…well, let's just say weapons don't go far if thrown underwater. Summer continued to sprint, not caring about the small amoeboids along the way. Her only thought about them was-

'Really hope they can't swim!'

Went down a tunnel, the water going to her knees before the path turned upward. Summer reached a ladder as the water level reached her feet, and climbed it. Then she saw more tunnels!

"Crap." She muttered dejectedly. Summer kept running, finding a large room, with only a couple vent pipes to land on to across. Teleporting to the other side, the water level cut off the path, forcing her to swim. Summer held her breath for as long as she could, until she breached the surface. Without looking back, she sprinted, landing in an elevator. When the door closed, and she felt the room shift, only then did Summer breathe a sigh of relief.

As did Ruby and Yang.

Summer laid on the ground, panting heavily. She wasn't afraid of water, or anything like that. But tight spaces filling up with water?! Yeah, she might have a fear of that.

"Please," Summer pleaded, "Whatever happens next, no more sewers."

The elevator opened, revealing the dark, but very much open, city skyline.

"Thank you." Summer breathed, heading outside. Nearby was a trailer, with a very large man in front of it.

'You know, it only just occurred to me how big everything in the galaxy is.'

"Finally," Ruby exclaims, "Someone mentions it. Are those sizes normal?"

"'Normal' is a relative term, Miss Rose. Many civilized species are much larger than your people. Just as many are much smaller."

"That's fair."

As Summer approached, the man scowled, holding his hands up.

"Hey, hey, hey!" The bouncer declared, "Press conference is over. Captain Qwark don't want no more reporters bugging him in his trailer."

"Press conference?" Summer did a double take, "I thought the Hoverboarding tournament hadn't happened yet."

"It hasn't, but the conference was about the amoeboids."

"Well, that's good to hear. But, look, you can see I'm no reporter. I need to speak to Captain Qwark regarding the Blarg."

"Yeah," the bouncer sarcastically said, "And I have Green Eco to fix my lip. You paparazzi make me sick, now beat it."

"Whoa, whoa, look, if you just let me expl-"

"Save it! I know how it works. You convince me to let you in. You snap a picture of the Captain in his underpants."

Summer flinched in disgusts.

"Then you sell the picture to the Info-Tabloid for a million bolts."

"Wait, that's a thing!?"

All the while," he continued, either oblivious or not caring, "I'm stuck making six bolts an hour AND I have to listen to a lecture from that cheapskate Qwark."

Summer sighed, "Wait, SIX BOLTS?! Aren't you his bodyguard?"

The bouncer was about to continue, when her words hit him. "More of a bouncer. But, yeah."

"You provide protection to one of the biggest celebrities in the galaxy, and that's your income rate?"

"Well, it's not like I had a choice in the manner."

"What do you mean?"

"I used to work for this mercenary group in the Bogon galaxy. It was a good gig, too. We provided…security for the less fortunate people."

Summer frowned, raising an eyebrow. "So a protection racket."

"Hey! Given how expensive Megacorp made it to live in their 'protected' worlds, can you blame them for wanting cheaper options."

Summer didn't know what Megacorp was, but they almost sounded like an even worse Gadgetron.

"Then we got a new boss, and he had…other plans."

"What, he stopped the protection racket?"

"No, he continued. In fact, he accelerated it."

"Jacked up the prices?"

"Hah! You wish. I might've lived with that. No, what he did was worse. He had a bunch of us wear of thug outfits, then attack a planet not on our racket. Then we'd 'save' them," he did air quotes, "And they'd be part of the racket."

Summer grimaced, "Yeah, had to put down a few criminals who did similar stuff."

"Needless to say, I didn't want no part of it. But, since Megacorp controlled the rest of Bogan, I needed to move out. After a bunch of other misfortunes, I ended up here."

Summer cupped her chin. "What's your name?"

"Hamlock."

"Well, Hamlock, do you have enough fuel for a quick change of venue?"

"One of the only benefits. I can get a free bus ticket to any planet I need to."

"Well, I'm Summer Rose, and I have a very interesting proposition for you," Summer brought out her GadgetScroll, "I don't have any interest in defaming Captain Qwark. Merely bringing his attention to some matters of…galactic proportions. However, it's clear this job means a lot to you, so here's my compromise. There's a little house on the planet Veldin. Small planet, doesn't get much activity. I don't expect to be there a lot for the foreseeable future, but I'd like to have someone make sure it's well maintained."

"I might be interested. What's the pay?"

"5000 now, plus an hourly pay of 30, with potential of increases."

Hamlock's mouth dropped, before he then smirked, "Well, boss, I see that you know how it works. Grease the hinges-" Hamlock steps to the side.

"And open the door." Summer declared, "I won't be there to give you an introduction to the place, so I'll send you the GPS for my house."

Entering the trailer, Summer looked around, seeing a man, just as tall as the bouncer, stretching, his back to her.

"Captain Qwark?"

"Huh?!" The man turned, seeing Summer, "Oh, Ma'am!"

"My name's Summer Rose, and-"

"Oh, ho ho, I know who you are."

"You…do?"

"Yes. I've been trying to find you and your son for some time. However, you and your little group kept jumping around, almost randomly. I figured, if I stay in one place, eventually you'd come to me."

"Wait, seriously?"

"Yes, it's why I left the swingshot with my trainer."

"But, if that's the case, then why didn't you tell Helga to tell us where you were?"

"At the time, I was still trying to track you. After Metropolis, I went to Novalis, helped save most of the planet, and heard you guys were heading to Aridia, so I tried there, but you were likely gone. I figured, given your son's desire for Hoverboarding, that coming to Rilgar may be the most prudent move. I even delayed the tournament for as long as I could, so you could reach me. And find you I must. As you are well aware, Chairman Drek is on a non-stop rampage to destroy our planets."

"Great, so you know the full situation."

"Helga informed me that planets were being destroyed, right before she had me go through a strict training course, to make sure I wasn't out of step. Unfortunately, alone, I'm unsure if I could do this. Chairman Drek possesses an armada. However, together, we might be able to put a stop to this."

"Wait, really?" The fact that Helga was personally retraining him did give Summer a bit of hope that he was taking this seriously.

"Summer, I'll admit. While I waited here, I used whatever footage I could retrieve from Novalis and Metropolis. I've watched that little boy of yours. It's been a long time since I've seen anyone with such raw talent. A true hero in the making!"

"Are…you being serious? Ratchet doesn't do it because he wants to be famous or anything."

"Of course not. Because he already has a hero in his eyes…You!"

Summer rubbed her shoulder, "I mean, you aren't entirely wrong."

"But I can see it in your eyes. You don't see yourself as a hero. Merely someone trying to do the right thing. And that's a wonderful attitude. But I can see that you're distracted, perhaps on something more personal."

'Raven's' words repeated in her head.

"Ah, I do not know your pain, and I will not pry to know. However, if you do not feel like you're good enough to continue this fight, I will gladly help train Ratchet. Just watch this."

Qwark pulled out an Info-Bot, which detailed a recruitment video to be trained by Captain Qwark himself, located at his secret headquarters.

"Meet me at-" Qwark, holding a microphone, stopped himself, hiding it behind him, "Meet me at my headquarters on Umbris. That boy will become a hero, and you'll be able to focus, without fear for your son's life."

Qwark then began to walk towards the door, while Summer looked down.

"Wait…" Summer clenched her eyes.

'I hope I don't regret this.'

"Yes, Summer Rose?"

"There's one more thing I can do. To help. You've been watching us, correct?"

"Not the entire time, but, yes."

"Then you've seen my son's powers."

"Ah, yes. I assumed it was something technological."

"It isn't. It's biological."

"Really? What species is he?"

"Not what I meant. It's something I share with him, and neither of us are related in any way. It's called a Semblance."

Qwark cupped his chin. "Interesting. Tell me more."

"While I can't help you acquire a Semblance, I can open the door for you…by unlocking your Aura."

Qwark shivered, "Sounds powerful."

"It is. Aura is the manifestation of the soul. You can use it as a shield, like Nano-tech. In time, you can acquire a power, unique only to you."

"Well then, if you trust me with this gift, how do I go about unlocking it?"

"Just come a little closer."

Qwark approached, and Summer placed a hand on his chest. Summer closed her eyes.

"Upon the brightest of dawns," Summer recited, "And the darkest of nights, a warrior's true merit, and all that he holds bright, shall be determined in the field, that which he decides what's right."

A green shimmer glowed all across Qwark.

"Whoa, what's happening?!" The man cried out, as the room engulfed in green light. And, like an instant, it disappeared. Summer dropped her arms, and slumped against the wall.

"Hey," Qwark placed a hand on her shoulder, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Summer panted, "Just…haven't done that in years. Forgot how exhausting it can be."

"Well, looks like I'll have some new tricks to learn. Don't worry, once Ratchet learns the basics on Umbris, you can join us, and teach me the basics of this Aura."

Summer nodded, a ghost of a smile on her face. The two then left the trailer.

"Hey! Where'd my bouncer go?"

Summer gave a sheepish face, which turned neutral when Qwark turned to her. She simply shrugged her shoulders.

"Eh, it doesn't matter. Take that tunnel there, it leads to the Hoverboard tournament. I'll be heading to my headquarters to prepare. Good luck!"

As Qwark took a taxi away, Summer smiled. She might not like Qwark, but at least it seems a true threat made him realize what's important. Heading down the tunnel, she got through the first gate easily. Unfortunately, the second one's pressure plate was on the other side. So she would have to simply wait until-

"Yahoo!" Ratchet cheered, jumping off his board and Requipping it, "Clank, did you see that!?"

"Considering I was attached to your back the entire time, it would be hard for me not to."

"Was that sass? I think you're learning."

"And now," the racing host declared, "Captain Qwark shall present the prize!"

As Clank got off his back, the two went to the floating broadcast screen, where it changed to show Captain Qwark.

"Hi folks," Qwark declared, "Captain Qwark here. It is my distinct pleasure to introduce this year's Hovercon Intergalactic Champions. Let's give it up for newcomers-"

"Ratchet and Clank." A robotic voice droned.

"What?" Ratchet exclaimed, "It's a recording. Oh, that's a load of bu-"

"Today's winners will take home a brand-new, Professional Grade, Model T-15 Platinum Zoomerator. Manufactured by Gadgetron, this hoverboard drive delivers more lift, speed and maneuverability than any other anti-grav device on the market."

"This is certainly not what I was expecting." Clank declared, as the hostess gave Ratchet the Zoomerator.

"Well folks," Qwark continued, "That's all the time we have. Tonight, remember to set your Infobots to the Qwark Classic Channel for tonight's episode of 'Dogfight over Death Canyon', starring yours truly. Thank you and have a Qwark-tastic day."

Ratchet sighed. "And we don't even have an Info-bot to follow a trail."

"I might be able to help with that!" Summer exclaimed.

"Mom!" Ratchet turned, running to her. Seeing the sealed gate, he opened it, allowing the three to be reunited.

"I'm assuming you've learned something."

With that, Summer recounted her meeting with Qwark, and to meet him on Umbris.

"You see!" Clank exclaimed, "With Captain Qwark, we'll be able to stop Chairman Drek."

"I know, but…Mom, was it a good idea to give him Aura?"

"I have my doubts, Ratchet. But, I do believe, in the long run, it'll be better for Solana."

Ratchet smiled, "Just making sure. So, our next stop is Umbris."

"Yep. Captain Qwark's headquarters."

Author's Notes: Qwark now has Aura...

...

...I'm sure this won't end badly.

Also, like it was stated, it's just now occured to me how BIG other people are in the Ratchet games.

As always, leave a review, fav/follow, and I'll see you all next time.