Author's notes at the bottom...

Enjoy!

⊱ ────── {⋅. ✯ .⋅} ────── ⊰

[Ratchet]

"Captain Qwark!?"

The man chuckled and laughed, puffing out his chest as he struck a pose, "Well, I am honored a heroic Lombax such as yourself knows a galactic hero such as me!" he smiled, flashing his pearly white teeth.

Ratchet stared at him, mouth open, and eyes widened as he looked the man up and down. Qwark seemed unphased, as he thought he was being admired. His robotic companion, however, continued to glare at both of them, looking like he would rather die outside of the ship than be here. After a minute of stunned silence and Qwark showing off a new pose every ten seconds, the robot snapped,

"Alright! Enough! I am sick and tired of you squishy lifeforms and your damn-" he continued to ramble, stomping over to the ship's control panel as Ratchet stared along right after him. Qwark hissed, "Oh! I am sorry about my...rugged companion. You see, he just missed his favorite soap opera when-"

"Silence! You HALF-WIT!" He slammed a clawed hand on the control panel, the screen flashing to life for a split second before completely going out. He then pointed an accusing clawed finger at Ratchet, "And YOU! You're a LOMBAX! Why do you have such primitive controls? I thought your race was INTELLIGENT!" Ratchet's ears went down from all the shouting.

This man was going to give him a killer headache...

"Oh, come on now, Nefarious. Is that how you are going to treat our savior? We could have been stuck together! Forever! In space! Oh! We could have watched-"

The robot, Nefarious, now turned fully to Qwark, red eyes alight with anger, "May I mind you that we are stuck here because of YOU and your IDIOTIC plans!?"

"Oh Nef, it's not-" and a half-sided fight ensued. Qwark seemed oblivious to it all as he rambled about what would happen when they got back to...wherever they came from. While Nefarious was shouting his voice box out, claws glittering in the dim light as he threatened to choke Qwark to death....

Ratchet just looked back and forth between the two as tension rose. First of all, he was confused beyond belief. Secondly, these two men looked really, really familiar for some reason...

"-and you should be dead!" Nefarious shouted as Qwark backed up, actually scared now. He knocked over a few boxes, which fell just in front of Ratchet's feet.

Okay...enough now!

Ratchet took his fist and banged on the side of the ship, lights flickering as he did so. Both of the men turned to him in surprise (and annoyance) as he kept banging. Once he realized that they were fully listening, he spoke up, "What do you think gives you two the right to come aboard and take over my ship!?" He spat, "I saved you two, so I call the shots!"

Qwark looked down at him in silence, while Nefarious...

Started laughing...

"Hah! HA! You? A child!? Do you really think that you are the boss over ME!?" He stepped forward, "You squishies always think that you have the right to boss people around, but let me tell YOU something-" his claw hovered directly in front of Ratchet's face. Qwark looked between them nervously, "-A kid like you has no power against me. I CAN kill you with just one move and-"

"I'd like to see you try, tin-can!" Ratchet interrupted him. At this point, Qwark scooted away toward the ship's navigator. Ratchet and Nefarious were completely oblivious to this as they kept glaring at one another,

They spoke over one another, "I'll let you know that I-" "YOU could never-"

"Ahem!"

They both paused and turned to Qwark, navigation panel now on as he- "Well, looks like I was able to fix this navigation...thingy! We can get back now!"

Nefarious and Ratchet both looked at him in surprise as the man just puffed out his chest once more, "Huh? Did you seriously doubt my heroic capabilities?"

Nefarious looked over to Ratchet, who looked back at him in surprise,

"Wow...uh, that's great." Nefarious mumbled, "Can't believe the half-wit was able to fix it before me..." he fumed, but only Ratchet seemed to hear him as Qwark cheered to himself. Instead, Ratchet just shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose to relieve the oncoming headache, "Where...exactly are you bringing us?"

"Our hideout, of course!" Qwark replied, "Neffy and I have been-"

"SHUT UP!" Nefarious pushed the man in the arm. Qwark whimpered as he rubbed the wounded area, "You do realize that our mission is confidential, right? CONFIDENTIAL. Secret!? Do you get it, you moron!?"

"Oh, I do!" Qwark held up a finger, "We can tell our wonderful savior about our plans!"

"No, do NOT-"

"What are you two talking about?" Ratchet asked then, tilting his head as both of the men stared at him. Nefarious just huffed and rolled his eyes, looking at Qwark in exasperation. Qwark, however, was happy to explain, "Our plans to take down The Creator, of course!"

"The Creator? Is that the psycho people keep talking about?" Ratchet questioned. Nefarious groaned, "Figures. A Lombax that doesn't know about anything....at all."

Ratchet glared at him but before he could start talking smack, Qwark intervened, "Yes! That's him! That's the guy the rebellion is going to take out-" Nefarious interrupted him, "-one day.." and Qwark continued, "Eventually making me president again!"

Everything went silent. Ratchet stared at the man in disbelief. Did he hear him correctly, "What did you say!?"

"I said that-"

"-That he wants to be the most useless president again. Not like he is going to get any votes anyway..." Nefarious glared at the man, "He's got it all wrong. You see, I AM the one that will be ruling over ALL squishies once that stupid Creator is dead." he unceremoniously sat himself down in one of the pilot seats. Ratchet looked at him, perplexed,

"Wait...so you two are...enemies?"

"Enemies? Oh, no! I like to call him my valuable ally!" Qwark butted in, "The Doctor here may have an...odd way of saying things, but we are after the same thing, right, Doctor?"

"Sure, if that floats your flimsy boat, half-wit." Nefarious pushed himself back into the seat, relaxing, "What bothers me is that a Lombax like you was just flying through space with nothing but the clothes on his back and a trashy spaceship?"

"Me? Oh...I-" and what could he say? I just escaped my own people that imprisoned me? I'm currently on the run from them as we speak and-

"I am looking for my friend."

Nefarious rolled his eyes again, "Oh, really? Look, I know Lombaxes and I know for a fact that they don't let their precious little children off their trash planet, so really, why are you here?"

Ratchet sighed heavily, sitting down on one of the tipped crates, "It's a...complicated story. I lost my memories, my own kind imprisoned me, and now I'm out here trying to find my friends and figure out who I am." he explained quickly. He heard Nefarious scoff, "Well, don't expect me to cry about your sob story..." Ratchet glared at him but said nothing. Surprisingly, Qwark piped up, "Dang, ain't that a tough one. Well, citizen, I am glad to inform you that you are welcome at our base! That is...if you're against The Creator that is. If not, I'm sure I could find you some job in the mailroom!"

"No! No...that's fine! Really! Just...thanks." Ratchet smiled softly, "Of course, I'll join you. But...that doesn't mean I will stop looking for him."

"Nonsense!" Qwark turned around in his pilot seat, "Once we get back, I am sure there is someone that knows about your lost friend, right? Then you two can band together and you both can help us defeat the bad guys! Qwark squealed in excitement, "I like it!"

Ratchet found himself smiling at the man's endless optimism. Taking one look at Nefarious, he saw the man looking away in what seemed to be disgust.

"For now, let us enjoy the ride until we get there!" Qwark mused to himself, turning around to press the auto-pilot button, relaxing back into his seat right after. As the two men started drifting off as Ratchet finally relaxed. He leaned down, holding his head in his hands as he thought back on what transpired,

"What the hell is going on!?" He thought to himself. Like...why did he trust these people already? Well...maybe trust is too strong of a word. They were bearable, to say the least. They felt so familiar as well...has he ever met them face to face before? It felt like it. Qwark's antics were way too familiar and Nefarious' attitude was expected. But...they haven't made any indication that they knew him....

Maybe him being from an alternate dimension was true...maybe it wasn't a lie or a myth...or just something The Council wrote in the books for a laugh....or a false hope...

An alternate dimension...?

He looked over at Qwark and Nefarious...

Or...an Alternate reality...?

He got rid of the thought with a shake of his head, looking around the quiet ship as it steered them towards their destination.

It would be best to sleep on it.

⊱ ────── {⋅. ✯ .⋅} ────── ⊰

Ratchet almost gasped when he saw the small robot across from him. However, it was like his body was on autopilot as he kept looking away.

He wanted to see more...

The small robot, who he was certain was Clank, let go of the screen in his hands, letting it float up...

"Incoming message from Captain Qwark."

Oh...that voice was so familiar. It was like he was taking a breath of fresh air when he heard it...oh how he missed that voice.

"Ratchet? Clank? I've got a bit of a situation here at the Planetary Defense Center." he seemed panicked, eyes darting from side to side as if he was looking for something. Waiting for it to happen. Ratchet felt a certain sense of apprehension...

But he couldn't move his own body, stuck watching what was happening as if he wasn't there...what was going on!?

"Nothing I can't handle just...a few thousand, heavily armed robotic commandos..."

Ratchet paused, fear rising in his chest but it was gone in a second, fight or flight response kicking in but...it's not like he could control himself. He lost track of the conversation but the sound of a blaster firing pulled him out of his head. Qwark shrieked, begging for his life as Ratchet watched the scene play out.

Clank took the screen and...put it back in his chest compartment. Interesting...

"Hmmm...a few heavily armed robotic commandos?"

Ratchet held out a hand, pulling Clank up behind him as they sat on some sort of...hoverbike? Ratchet couldn't tell...

"When aren't they heavily armed?" he found himself saying, voice sounding a bit too confident for the situation...

Oddly enough, the scene changed.

A shrill voice hit his ears...

"Emperor Percival Tachyon-"

Tachyon!? He heard that name before...

"-Ruler of the Universe!"

Again...

"How fitting. The Prince of the Cragmites and the Son of the Lombaxes-" the same shrill voice Ratchet heard before this ringing in his ears. But when he looked up...the face was blurry and unrecognizable. He looked behind himself, remembering the familiar weight of Clank attached to his back...where was this again?

"-On the very ground their ancestors last fought!" the voice spat out, saying something more but it was inaudible to his ears. The world around him started to flash, blurry once more...was this it?

Once more, and by this time, he felt nauseous from it all...

He gasped, the face above him finally revealed to him, and the puzzle seemed to lock into place, painting a whole picture...

Tachyon...

The tyrant sneered, "With their city decimated by my enforcers, your race took refuge behind these walls. They believed that if they-

"Hey! Wake up squishy! Or else we'll leave you behind. Well, now that I think about it...that does sound-"

Ratchet yelped, practically jumping off the crate he was sleeping on and breathing in deeply, startled by the bot above him. "Yeah, I hear you. Thanks for that wake-up call, Nefarious." he said sarcastically, getting himself up off the floor, glaring up at him, "Why do you have to be such an ass all the-"

"We're here!" Qwark cheered from his seat, getting ready to land the ship, "Get ready to witness the best hideout known to mankind. One created by yours truly-" he boasted, pointing to himself, "With all my blood, sweat, tears, and other bodily fluids. I'll-"

"Oh! Yeah, yeah!... I think we get it..." Ratchet winced, cutting off the man's words as the ship rocked slightly, landing just outside the entrance to (what he assumed) was the hideout Nefarious and Qwark had been talking about...

As Qwark pushed the button to open the hatch, he turned to look over at Ratchet, optimism and excitement in his eyes,

"Welcome to the updated Planetary Defense Center! Home of wonderful citizens like yourself!"

Ratchet walked out with the two and looked up at the rusted doors of the hideout. As his eyes wandered, he noticed that it was really...well, poorly hidden. Whatever planet they were on smelled of sulfur and wet dirt, a disgusting combination. It made him want to pinch his nose shut...

"This is it?"

Qwark winced while Nefarious snickered, "It's a dump, right? It's sick that I had to stoop so low." he started walking ahead of them towards the entrance, "However, this will all be worth it once I am standing on that podium above all you squishies! HA!" Ratchet rolled his eyes,

Yeah...like that would ever happen...

He paused, silencing the nagging thought in the back of his head, and continued, "Well, how this place stays hidden is beyond me but...I guess it'll do."

Qwark smiled brightly, putting a large hand behind him and pushing him forward. He gestured to the door with his other hand, "I am glad to have your approval, citizen! I am sure you will fit right in!"

Ratchet let Qwark push him forward, ignoring the obvious glares from Nefarious as he got closer and closer to the door...

Once they opened, Qwark started speaking even louder, his boisterous voice echoing off the walls as some people turned to him. Others...covered their ears. Some people (who were obviously new judging from their clothing and obvious injuries) "We have a fresh new batch of survivors coming in, you'll be put in the same place they are going...I think we have enough beds to go around. If not, Nefarious has a spot-"

"NO WAY!" the bot shrieked, more people covered their ears. Some walked away entirely, "There is no way that I would have ANYONE sleeping by me! Let alone a stupid squishy." he clenched his clawed hands. Qwark just shook his head, oblivious to the obvious hostility. Ratchet gritted his teeth...

Man...these guys were...odd. To say the least...

As always...

Ratchet shook his head but had no chance to respond as Qwark pulled him further in. From the looks of it, this hideout looked like the inside of a giant sewage drain. It must have been a cargo bay or storage facility at one point, but it certainly smelled otherwise. The people around him seemed to be working on weaponry or preparing foods over a crude, makeshift hot plate. They didn't seem to care about his presence at all. Ignoring everyone's existence but their own.

Many of them had wounds, some even covered in dirt and soot. Ratchet cringed when he saw one man without a leg sitting on a blanket on the ground, messing with his shotgun.

He felt a shiver go up his spine. This wasn't a base, this was a safe camp, made for survivors and nothing more. But...there had to be more people like Qwark and Nefarious right? More people had to go out there, after all...

Either way, it seemed like these survivors needed real help...

"Now...let me introduce you to everyone!" Ratchet felt despair pool in his chest as many wandering eyes made contact with him. Nefarious just grounded, and hung his head, shaking it in disbelief.

Great...

"Well, I would love to bless you with my presence more but I have to tend to other heroic matters! See you later!"

And Ratchet, exhausted from everything that just happened in the span of a few hours, just waved him goodbye. Good thing Nefarious left a while ago, or else he would be hearing him shout in his ear all night long. Yeah...thankfully he didn't have to suffer through that.

He headed into the small excuse of a room and to the makeshift cot against the wall. There were two other ones across from his own, but he figures that the other survivors found someplace else...

He laid back, cringing at the rough fabric beneath him, regretting the fact that he didn't try to find a blanket or something before he laid down...

Not like it mattered anyway. The wounded survivors probably needed it more than he did at this point. He could bear the cold if it meant someone else was comfortable...

Taking a deep breath of the musty air, he finally closed his eyes. Praying for a better, less hectic day tomorrow...

⊱ ────── {⋅. ✯ .⋅} ────── ⊰

And there he was again...

"-If they believed this dimension, I would leave Polaris unscathed...." a villainous laugh echoed throughout the building.

He felt himself growl, holding his...wrench? Up at the man called Tachyon above him. He glared, looking into the blank, beady eyes of his enemy.

"You're lying! Lombaxes don't run!" He called out, anger coursing through his veins as Tachyon continued to speak. "Oh? Is that so?" Tachyon paused for dramatic effect as-

"Dimensionator! Find the Lombaxes!"

And before he knew it, a great blue, circular portal opened in front of him. He took a few steps over, touching the rippling surface and watching a small stream of blue particles danced around his finger.

His people...his family...His opportunity to get what he always wanted was right in front of him, literally at his fingertips...

"Cowards! All of them!" he felt anger ignite within him as the words flowed out of Tachyon's mouth...

"Only two stayed behind..."

For some reason, his fur started to stand on end. He swallowed thickly, suddenly parched and...and scared? What was-

"The Keeper of the Dimensionator, and his infant son."

Ratchet felt his heart drop to his stomach. Wait...wait wait wait no...no...this...

"I took great pleasure in destroying your father, Lombax. Pity he sent you to Solana before we could meet."

And Ratchet, though stuck watching his movements, wanted to cry out in shock and....and despair. This meant...this all meant-

The Keeper...The Keeper...The Keeper...

⊱ ────── {⋅. ✯ .⋅} ────── ⊰

"Kaden!"

He gasped out, falling off the cot and hitting the floor, but he couldn't care less...

The Keeper...The Keeper...The Keeper...

Kaden.

The Keeper and his infant son...infant son...

Him.

He gasped in lungfuls of air, pushing himself up and walking away from his cot, rubbing the top of his head in distress and on the brink of sobbing as everything started to set in.

This was real...he could feel it. This wasn't a lie. He knew...He knew this... He could...he could remember it! The portal, the people, the choices, the feelings...All of it! Him being from a different dimension wasn't a lie or a far-fetched assumption. No...it was real. So very real.

He...He was Kaden's son. No...Kaden and Phoebe's son! He was...he was...he was...

Oh my...he couldn't even think straight!

Kaden and...and Phoebe...his parents!? They...

This whole time he was staring them in the face and he didn't know. This whole time he was with them and he couldn't remember anything to save his ass and now...

Now he was away from something he always longed to have. A family...a father, a mother, his people! Everything!

And Clank...oh, Clank! He was real! He really was real! These dreams weren't fake! They were his and his alone! These dreams were the memories he had forgotten. And while they didn't paint the full picture...

He had something!

He found himself sitting in some sort of common area on a makeshift couch, breathing in deeply with a blinding smile on his face.

There was no way he could sleep now! Not with these memories that he has uncovered and...

And he has to go back! He has to find a way back! He has to see if Kaden-No, his father! If his father is okay and...and how his mother is doing and...and everything! He had to-

"Hey, kid."

Ratchet looked up at the gruff voice, making eye contact with a rugged Markazian man before him. He had a few cuts and bruises here and there, but nothing big. His dark brown hair seemed a bit greasy, as his tired green eyes stared down at him, "Are you alright?" he asked, a hint of concern in his voice. Ratchet furrowed his brows,

"Uhh...yeah." he answered. Satisfied with the answer, the stranger sat down with him and pulled out a cigarette from his pocket. He offered one to Ratchet, who refused

"I could see your distress from a mile away."

"Well, I'm sorry but.... who exactly are you?"

"Name's Aaron Boltin." the man replied, and I just saw you walk in here in total distress. Just a concerned passerby." He waved him off, "Don't mind me."

Ratchet continued to stare at him for a few seconds more, looking away once the man continued to smoke in silence. "I just...couldn't sleep, y'know?" he mumbled. Aaron shook his head, "Yeah, I can't either, kid. That's a norm for all of us survivors." he took a drag, "Sad, but true, yeah?"

Ratchet nodded in understanding, still trying to calm himself at the revelations that just occurred.

He could celebrate and sob in happiness during his own time.

"Damn, kid. Stop thinking for once. I can practically hear it," He rolled his eyes. And...to be quite honest, the man's whole demeanor started to put him on edge, "Yeah...sorry." he replied sarcastically, rolling his own eyes.

Aaron huffed, ignoring the boy's annoyance, "What brings you here, kid?"

"Why do you wanna know?"

"I'm just trying to make small talk." Aaron spat, "It's not every day you get to talk to people here."

Ratchet grit his teeth, but pushed his apprehension away. Perhaps these guys meant well..."My name is Ratchet..." he replied.

Testing the waters...

"Ratchet Callisto." and the words felt so foreign on his tongue...

Aaron smirked, "Well, that's an odd name. It actually reminds me of someone I met a while ago. What was his name again..." He mused, looking up to try and recall the full name, "It started with a 'C'...I know it was odd though. Is it common for Lombaxes to have strange names like yours?"

"You met another Lombax out here?"

Aaron chuckled, "Yeah...it's weird actually. From what I know, your kind is secretive about that shit but...who knows with all this Creator stuff..."

"I see..." Ratchet mumbled, "The Creator is responsible for a lot it seems."

"More than a lot." Aaron mumbled darkly, "Hell, I'm blessed to be here right now. I thought I was surely going to be imprisoned by those fuckers or die but...I was able to hide." He sniffed, snuffing his cigarette out on the ground, "His soldiers killed my son."

Ratchet gasped quietly, "They...did?"

"Yes..." Aaron scoffed, "I...I tried to hide him. I really did but by the time I got back I...I don't know. A little boy like him couldn't survive like that out here." he looked away, "Sorry...I'm dumping my trauma on you."

"No...No you need it." And he could tell the man did. From the looks of it, many of the survivors seemed to stick to their own. And here he thought that people would be banded together to fight against The Creator....

Looks like he was wrong.

Yeah...all they need is a leader! I could...I could do that!

He shook the voice out of his head. Really, what was he thinking?

"And, even then, I think our situation is about to get worse." Aaron grimaced. Ratchet looked at him in surprise, "Really? What makes you say that?"

"Well, boy. Some rumors are going around that there is another guy out there trying to kill us all as well...what was his name again." he tapped his chin, "I know for a fact that there are some survivors here that survived his wrath while he decimated their planets. Hell, he could give The Creator a run for his money."

Ratchet felt a chill go up his spine...

"Oh, yeah...I think they call him Tachyon."

Ratchet froze in place, all the air in his lungs rushing out with one big push. What? No...this can't be!

Tachyon...Tachyon...didn't he...? No...he can't remember. But...he was in his dream so-

Wait...was he the one to step into that portal!? Did he leave everything behind!? Did...Did Tachyon follow him!?

Did...did he cause all of this?

Suddenly his joy turned sour at the thought. Fuck, what was he going to do!? What was he going to-

Something didn't make sense...a piece was missing from the puzzle here and he couldn't make sense of it....

He was forgetting something. He knew he was...

Maybe if he fell asleep again he would remember!

"Tachyon? Great." he mumbled, "Another prick who can go die in a pit." he spat his words out without thinking. However, Aaron laughed at his words, "I agree with ya', kid.' ' he stood up then, eyes a bit moist. Probably because he talked about something sensitive but...Ratchet wasn't going to stop him...

"Goodnight, kiddo. I hope to see you around."

Ratchet just nodded at him, waving goodbye before the situation dawned on him again. A whole tidal wave of emotions overcame him...

Kaden...Phoebe...are his parents and now...

Tachyon has arrived.

Well, this was fucking great, wasn't it?

He stood up quickly, heading back in the direction of his cot, praying he could go to sleep again but in reality, the chances were slim. Something needed to change. Something needed to happen.

The people are way too miserable for his liking. Yeah, they lost families and children. Brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, and more. They lost their homes, planets, freedoms, and everything else in the book.

But these people needed to rise up if they wanted to live. They needed to stand up and fight for what they wanted and what they need.

They need to fight for the future they all deserve.

They needed a leader.

They needed someone that will fan the flames of rebellion and lead them to victory. They needed someone who would give them the key to peace.

...

Finally sitting down on his cot, he looked down at the ground, a familiar feeling growing in his chest the longer he thought about it...

These people needed hope. They needed something to fight for. They needed a reason. A chance..

....

A leader a leader a leader...

A hero.

The world felt all too familiar to him. He smiled hesitantly, looking down at his hands. He...was shaking. It could have been from this sudden adrenaline coursing through his veins, or his uncertainty, but it didn't matter.

He was capable. He was determined...

He thought of all his friends...his family. The sacrifices people made for him and for others.

....

It wouldn't hurt being a hero again...would it?

....

No...it wouldn't. Now was the time to fight back. Perhaps he could find himself along the way, but he had a duty he felt like he must fulfill. Finding the rest of his past or not, he needed to do this. Where did he get this sudden, heroic feeling from? He didn't really know...

But it felt natural. It felt familiar.

He could do this....

He could be a hero again.

⊱ ────── {⋅. ✯ .⋅} ────── ⊰

[Clank]

He didn't know where he was.

One moment he was in the cell, the next he was on this cold, metal table as several bots stood over him, making sure the braces on both his wrists and ankles remained tight, pinning him to the table. They looked over his facial plate and his optics, writing everything down as they continued.

Curious, he scanned the room to get an idea of where he was. It looked like a sort of...medical room? A lab, perhaps. Three other metal tables sat vacant in the room. Tubes filled with different (suspicious) liquids were on one of the desks. Various metal parts and machinery were scattered about along one of the walls....what the hell?

The (medical?) bots started to speak. He listened intently...

"Has the memory chip been inserted correctly?"

"Looks like it. He is moving around after all..."

The other was silent for a moment before finally turning and leaving with the clipboard in their hands, "I will bring these results to The Creator. For now, the next subject will be coming in..."

"Great..." the other above him grunted as the door shut. They looked back down at Clank in malice, "You came at the worst time, I swear." they shook their heads, "And here I thought I could catch up on my other projects. Our Master will kill me..." they muttered.

And then the room was filled with silence, as Clank couldn't formulate the correct words to speak. Just...what happened to him? They took out his memory chip and put it back in but now...it was like everything was scrambled. He couldn't tell left from right and he couldn't piece together why he was here in the first place.

Nonetheless, that didn't matter now, since the door opened once more and in came XR, who was kicking out with their good leg and struggling in the guard's grip. It was no use, and they were put on the table just like Clank was, braces locking around their wrists and ankles too. They growled loudly,

"I swear, let me the fuck go or I'll-"

"Just shut it up already!" The bot that was previously working on Clank walked over to Nova. "This won't hurt at all, so you can just zip it and let me do my work..." They roughly moved Nova's head to the side, taking a screwdriver and taking the panel on the back of their neck apart. Clank watched as they pulled the memory chip out not long after they opened the panel, walking away with it immediately and putting it in a chip reader...

Huh...so that's what they were doing...

"Well well well....that's surprising." they mumbled, looking at the holo-screen. "Just wait until the Master sees this." they turned back to Clank, walking over and smirking devilishly, "I guess I will have to send you back soon...it was fun while it lasted."

And Clank was just about to ask what they meant, but his world went black before he could do so...

He didn't feel good about this...

⊱ ────── {⋅. ✯ .⋅} ────── ⊰

The next time he woke up, he was on his knees before The Creator, a guard bot holding his hands behind his back as The Creator looked down upon him and...XR.

Who seemed to be in the same predicament that he was in...

He looked back up to The Creator when he started chuckling darkly, pacing back and forth on his desk as he did so. His optics were trained on Clank as he spoke, "Welcome back, Clank." he muttered, "I thought that my assistants put your memory chip in wrong, you were out for quite a while...I was worried, really." and Clank knew that was a lie. The Creator could care less about his victims, it seemed.

"Anyways, let's discuss the matter at hand." The Creator looked up to the guard behind Clank, "Gag him."

Suddenly the guard took out a dirty rag and shoved it into Clank's mouth, silencing him as Clank struggled against it. He stopped once The Creator started to speak again,

"Nova." The Creator called out, said bot looking up at him apprehensive, waiting to hear what The Creator would say...

Clank's eyes widened, Nova...was that their name now? Must be...

"I have decided that I will offer both of you a deal, if you will listen of course."

Both Clank and Nova remained still as he continued,

"Now...Nova. Looking at your memories it seems like you had a very...troubling past. Being imprisoned...betrayed...hurt and left for dead. What an upsetting beginning for you." Nova grits their teeth, "But it got me thinking. I have come to realize that we have a lot of similarities, Nova."

Nova glared up at him, "We are nothing alike." they spat. The Creator just narrowed his eyes, "One more interruption and I'll kill you. Understand?"

Nova shut up at that...

"I too have been betrayed. I too have been imprisoned by those around me for...quite a long time. But...look where I am now! I have power and control! I can decide what to do with my life and you know what I have, Nova?" he stopped for dramatics, "I have freedom."

Nova swallowed thickly, looking down at the floor. Clank looked over at them, silently hoping that they wouldn't give in to the other bot...

"So I have decided to offer you this..." The Creator jumped down from the top of his desk, walking to stand in front of Nova, hands behind his back, "You see...the Lombaxes have been a thorn in my side since the beginning. I noticed they haven't been partaking in the rebellion's efforts lately, so they offered to try and negotiate. I wanted to ignore them and throw them to the curb." he scoffed, "But they offered me one of their own. Imagine the thought of having a Lombax as my slave, doing anything I wanted?" he smiled, "I then captured you two, thinking you were sent as spies instead but I was so far off from the truth."

"You both have potential. The potential I want. You two are the keys. But alas...I think I only need one of you to do my dirty work. The other...well, I guess I will have to force you to be one of my prisoners."

Both Nova and Clank looked at The Creator, shocked beyond belief,

"My offer to you Nova, is this: I will offer you freedom in exchange for infiltrating The Lombaxian Council for me."

Nova raised a brow, "Uhm...how?"

And while The creator looked annoyed at the remark, he didn't say anything against it, "Well...let's say I accepted their treaty. One of your kind was supposed to come here, after all. And even if they didn't send one, they couldn't just leave a Lombaxian kit all alone." he started pacing in front of them, eyes trained on Nova,

"So, in exchange for your freedom, I want you to steal confidential information from the Lombaxes so I can finally remove the thorn in my side and gain power over the strangest race in this galaxy. Well, that and...The Clock."

Clank tried to spit out the rag in his mouth, trying to stop what was happening but it seemed like no one else cared about his struggles. He looked over to Nova to see-

-them smiling!?

The Creator didn't stop there, "Think about it. After this is done you will have the freedom you desire. You can do whatever you please, all away from humans and bots alike. You can do what you wish, with no bars holding you back. You can live, if you can finish this simple task for me."

Nova hummed, looking up at The Creator...

Deep down, they knew that The Creator was a tyrant that would do anything to get what he wanted. But...that same tyrant was offering them something they wanted their whole time in existence. Freedom.

Clank wronged them. The humans wronged them. The entire galaxy wronged them...

And now...all they had to do was retrieve some stupid data and they would get it.

"But...won't they know I am a bot?"

"No...because that brings me to...your associate here."

He turned to Clank, "Take the gag away." The guard did so and Clank had to refrain himself so he didn't spit on the floor in disgust.

"Looking at your memories was...interesting." he said, "To think, the two beings before me being from a different dimension entirely...it's enlightening." Clank glared at him, "You and your friend were glorious heroes. And...well, I never thought my dimensional counterpart would be a hero." he sighed heavily, "No matter. You were the keeper of The Great Clock in your dimension, and, because of the loss of your dear Lombaxian friend...you created a copy."

Nova's eyes widened, the suppressed memories coming back full force...

A copy...a copy...a copy

"Now, guess how surprised I was when my...associate who is living among the Lombaxes, informed me that the one they were sending over matched the description of your friend." Clank gasped quietly,

No...no no no...

"Now, I don't know what happened to this friend of yours and why he isn't here but that's not part of my worries." he looked between the both of them, "So Clank, here is your offer: I will give you a chance to go and reunite with your precious friend if you are to accomplish the same goal, getting me that information while simultaneously gaining their trust."

Clank practically growled, "How do I even know if this is him?"

"Well, that is a risk you will have to take." The Creator retorted, "No deal comes without their risks."

"But I can't really blend in."

"That's easy, perhaps I can tell them that I created a Lombaxian prototype to do anything they say. Call it a peace offering. But...if Nova were to go...I feel like they would blend in way more."

"But you don't even know if my friend left or not." Clank pointed out, but The Creator just laughed, "Even so, my informant has told me that he has been in containment. I am doubtful that they would let the boy go since he probably knows what is going on now. The Lombaxian Council is a bit ruthless, after all."

And Clank felt his heart drop. It looks like The creator had a whole plan laid out no matter where they would go and-

"I accept your offer."

Clank looked over to Nova in horror, seeing them smile as if they were satisfied with their terms. Maybe they actually were, but Clank would never know...

"N-Nova..." he whispered out helplessly. Nova ignored him in favor of making eye contact with The creator and continuing to smile. Clank felt his heart drop as they did so...

"I see...a bit eager but, I admire it." The Creator smiled back, "As for you, Clank. You will-"

"I accept it too."

The Creator paused at this, tilting his head, "Oh? You couldn't resist it, huh? Seems like your dear friend is more important than I thought..." he mused. Nova glared at Clank, "But I accepted it first!" they cried out, "Shouldn't I-"

"Worry yourself none." The Creator spat, "For I know how we will settle this..."

Nova and Clank listened in anticipation, waiting for The Creator to speak.

"How about...a simple battle. Whoever is victorious will be granted their deal. But whoever loses...well, they will be put right back into their cell, under my control."

Clank looked towards Nova, who seemed a bit too eager to do this.

"Nova will be repaired beforehand, of course, for I wish to be amused by this. Both of you could be formidable fighters and I am eager to see who will perish..."

At that, Nova looked at Clank, who glared back in betrayal. How...How could they do this? How could they be happy with this? Clank surely wasn't and the last thing he wanted to do was fight but...

If he had the chance to get out of here, he would take it. On top of that, this could be the chance to see Ratchet again.

He couldn't pass this up, even if he had to fight Nova for it...

"Let's do it." Nova nodded. Clank silently agreed as The Creator chuckled darkly, "Well...this will be fun." he looked up towards the guards, "Take Nova here and get them fixed, as for Clank...keep him in the calls for now. Tomorrow the fight shall begin, so I recommend you rest up your systems." and The Creator sounded a bit too excited at this as the two were dragged away.

As they headed down the hall, Clank looked over to Nova, "Nova...we didn't have to do this."

"Oh...shut up!" Nova spat, "You don't know what it's like for your life to be controlled by others, Clank. You have no idea what it's like to be left for dead and thrown away like scrap!" they scoffed, glaring daggers at Clank, "I will beat you tomorrow and I won't hesitate to kill you if I have to. That freedom is mine, and you and your stupid friend can die in a hole for all I care."

Clank looked down at the ground as Nova was then dragged in a different direction than he was heading.

While he regretted admitting that those words hurt, he decided that he wouldn't let those words faze him. Tomorrow he will face Nova with no hesitation.

Tomorrow...he is aiming to win. No matter what it takes.

⊱ ────── {⋅. ✯ .⋅} ────── ⊰

No matter what it takes...

Clank reminded himself as he stood in the open room, staring at Nova who was just across from him. They glared darkly, frowning as they did so.

Clank remained neutral.

The Creator stood above them, looking down in satisfaction, practically feeling the tension in the air rise.

This...will be fun.

Clank and Nova both stood up straight as The Creator started speaking...

"Now...remember. Whoever wins will get their deal granted to them. If you wish, you could try to kill each other if you wanted to, for I couldn't care less." he smirked down at them, "No rules. No exceptions, just fighting for glory...and freedom."

Clank clenched his fists...

Nova grit their teeth...

And The Creator held up a hand,

"Well...let's get started, shall we?"

No response other than the low hiss Nova let out in frustration. By the looks of it, they were ready to kill...

Clank just stared ahead, right into their eyes...

The Creator smiled...hand coming down and slicing through the air, signaling-

.

.

.

"Begin!"

⊱ ────── {⋅. ✯ .⋅} ────── ⊰

*PLACE YOUR BETS, EVERYONE! I wanna hear who you think will win and why? (I already know who but I am genuinely curious..heheh)*

AND! Ratchet is finally remembering more! Heck yeah! Are you all excited about it? I am! To be honest...I have been waiting for him to have this revelation! I am so relieved to finally have it in here!

Oh, and sorry for the wait everyone. First I was under the weather and then things started getting a bit overwhelming for me...thank you all for being patient and supportive, as always :)

Anyways, if you would like to see a certain POV next chapter let me know. Things are kind of all over the place with these characters and I want you all to get a bit of everything without overwhelming you all.

See you all next chapter! ❤