Fight scene! Let's go! (Hopefully I did well with it...I'm more of a fluff person but I tried!)😅

More Author's notes at the end, Enjoy the chapter!

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"Begin!"

Nova was the first to move, bolting forward and reaching Clank in record time, swinging a fist forward and missing by a few inches as Clank dodged them. The silver Lombax turned to catch Nova's wrist to twist it back, making them look him in the eyes. "We don't have to do this, Nova." he whispered to them, "We could just-"

But Nova was enraged, taking their other fist and punching Clank's left cheek, growling as they did so. "Shut...your fucking mouth." they seethed, "You're the one that started this! You're the one that had to ruin everything!"

Clank recovered quickly, catching their next fist and practically begging, "Nova, I don't want to-"

"Fight me!" They gave a powerful kick to his knee, effectively putting him down to the ground where they gave a swift kick to the stomach, once...twice...until Clank rolled away, grasping at his stomach. Good thing he didn't have real organs...

Turns out he didn't have long to recover as they jumped on top of him, wrestling on the ground for a bit before pinning him down. But Clank suddenly turned and kicked them away as hard as he could, hissing in pain as his more delicate metal made contact with Nova's more advanced shell. It seemed like the kick didn't even affect them as they jumped right back up, teeth bared and claws aiming to do damage. Clank tried to reason with them one last time,

"Nova, please-" he whispered desperately, hands spread in front of him to try and calm Nova down so they would stop trying to strike, "-There is no reason to-"

"There is a reason!" They shouted, "If I don't kill you now, I will lose my whole life and continue to be a slave!" their voice started to rise higher and higher, voice box struggling to keep up.

"It's because of you that I'm like this! It's because of you that I have to suffer! If you just let me go-" then...their eyes widened, "-No...if you let the thought of your fucking friend go, then I wouldn't be here!"

"You wouldn't be in existence then!" Clank retorted, "I never would have made you!"

"It's better than suffering!" They screeched, "Better than being a slave! Better than listening to others and being locked up! Better than everything!"

They ran forward again, tears in their eyes, obviously letting their emotions overtake their actions. Their fist was significantly weaker and slower compared to the rest, and allowed Clank to grab both of their wrists this time, keeping them there.

He wasn't a fighter. He didn't even know where to hit. Not like he wanted to hurt them...

He needed them to come to their senses...

"Nova. Nova! Please listen!"

Nova tried to get out of his grip, snarling and pulling Clank to the side to try and get him off, but to no avail. Clank's grip was like steel.

"I don't want to listen to anything you have to say!" they spat, "It's your turn to suffer!"

"But-"

"You don't deserve to be free!" Nova hissed, "All you want to do is get out and see your stupid, dead friend!"

Clank's fur bristled, "He's not dead!" and in a fit of anger, he released Nova and kicked them away with unknown strength. They cried out in pain and hit the ground with a force much harder than before.

Clank was stunned by his strength, but had no time to dwell on it as the words came pouring out of his mouth in desperation, "He's not dead!" he repeated, as if trying to convince himself as well, "I know he's out there! He sent me-"

"I have his memories." Nova stood up, voice dark and emotionless, "You gave me his memories and I suppressed them this whole time..." they stepped forward, eyes alight with a ferocity that Clank has never seen before until this moment. This was deep, repressed anger that Nova held inside...and now it was all coming out and bursting at the seams.

"I know what happened. And guess what? That blast from The Clock most likely killed him."

"But there is a possibility that it also-"

"-Revived him? Shocked him back to life!? Doubtful." they sneered, "You're grasping at nothing, Clank! You're so desperate to see him again that you've become delusional!" Clank felt his heart sink, "He's dead!"

Suddenly, Clank growled, voice low, "You don't know what you're talking about!" Nova's eyes widened in surprise at the tone. "I know he's alive. I know he's out there." he leaned a bit closer, wanting to come forward but also not wanting to get physical once more. "You don't know anything!"

Nova said nothing as they launched forward and wrapped their arms around his neck. Clank went to pry the arms off of him...

Nova whispered in his ear, "When I win you will have to stay here and suffer." they barred their teeth, "You will learn how-"

"Enough!"

Clack took both of his arms and pushed them up and in between Nova's own, breaking the grip the other had on him. Nova staggered back, only for Clank to advance on them and grab at their shoulders, yanking them upwards and flinging them to the side, straight into the wall. Nova grunted, winching as they covered their side. They glared at him, "Oh? Now you wanna fight!?"

They kicked off the wall, hitting him square in the jaw with a fist, using anything they could at this point to do damage. From elbowing him to the side to kicking him, Clank was down before he could blink.

With a swift kick into his optics, his world turned blurry. He pushed himself up, lifting his head as oil dripped down onto the concrete flooring. Nova looked down at him, eyes alight with malice. Their fists clenched and let their claws bite into their palms.

Ratchet...

Clank glared at...at the damned copy of his friend standing above him. Yeah, he realized it now. Or...maybe it was a while ago and he hasn't come to terms with it until now? Whatever the case may be, this creation above him wasn't his friend. It never was. It was a creation gone wrong.

A combination of desperation and hope was before him. A combination that should have never mixed in the first place all those months ago but...here it was...

Standing above him, ready to make the finishing strike. Ready to get the kill like a rabid animal. And...it didn't seem like they cared. Not one bit.

Their freedom was on the line.

But Clank's chances at finding Ratchet were on the line too...

"Get. Up." Nova growled, "Get. Up. So I can end you knowing I-"

Get up? Oh...he'd do more than that...

In one swift movement, Clank turned to swipe a leg under Nova's own, tripping them and sending them toppling over. He proceeded to jump on top of them, giving them the same treatment that they served him, by delivering a quick hit to the cheek. He reeled back for another, enraged. Nova's eyes filled with fear as they tried to shake their head, "W-What!? C-Clank! Don't-"

He ignored them, hand pressing down on one shoulder as he hit them again, "Stop....fighting me...." Clank gasped out. Nova gripped onto him and tried to push him off, "I know you...want your freedom but none of this is it." Clank panted, "You...you will only cause destruction."

"I will do anything for my life." Nova hissed, "Even this-"

Nova went to flip them over but once they did, Clank jumped off to pull them up, refusing to let them get the upper hand, "You don't know what you're getting into, Nova!"

"I am fighting for my freedom! For my life!"

"You'll never get it if you want revenge against those that hurt you, Nova." Clank pushed them away roughly, "I...can not let you go knowing that you are capable of." he glared, "Knowing that you are willing to kill...like this."

Nova looked away, as if they were ashamed, "You...you wouldn't understand!" they shouted, "I just want to be let go! Is that too much to ask!?" they were on the brink of crying, "Am...am I not enough!?"

Clank paused for a moment, before frowning. He stepped forward hesitantly, "We could find another way out of this, Nova." he whispered, getting closer and closer..."There are other ways to obtain your freedom, Nova. I promise! Let's just-"

"Like I would take a promise from you!"

Nova went to attack, but...

Clank had enough of this...Of all the arguing...and the kicks and punches....

Without a second thought (and some brute strength on his end), he caught Nova's first and twisted it. Nova let out a cry once he threw them against the cement wall of the arena, hitting it with a sickening *crack* and going silent. Clank continued to glare, but once he realized what he did...

He gasped.

"N-Nova...?" he whispered, voice shaky as they turned their head towards him. All they did was frown, before tilting their head down, finally allowing themselves to cry.

"Why wasn't I enough..." they whispered. Clank stepped back in horror...

While he couldn't see any visible injuries... Nova could be damaged internally or....

Maybe they gave up.

"Why..." they looked away in defeat, "Why couldn't you have been happy with who I was?"

Clank said nothing, staring as Nova finally bowed their head in defeat, no longer able to go on as their emotions (and possible injuries) consumed them. He had no words as the arena was filled with silence.

*creeek...*

Clank shot his head up, looking at the opening doors and watching as two guards stepped in, saluting The Creator above. Said bot chuckled darkly, "Take him away and...escort him to the ships."

Clank stood in shock as each bot took an arm..."Ship!?" he called out, looking up at the tyrant above. The Creator just shook his head, "While I prefer you would've killed them and given me a show, a deal is a deal." He said, "Once you get a chip put in you with your orders, then I'll have you shipped right off to the Lombaxes."

"...chip?"

The Creator scoffed, "Yes! I am giving you orders, do you not remember!?" he clenched his metal fist, "I must make sure you follow these orders, after all. That...or..." he glared down at him, "You will face the consequences." Clank felt a shiver go up his spine at the tone,

"You have a few months to get me this information. If not...the Lombaxes, including your friend, will be my next victims. Am I understood?"

Clank gritted his teeth, this...this was the only way...

"I understand."

"Good." The Creator replied coldly before looking towards the guards, "Take him away."

Clank was dragged away without another word, and once the doors closed, The Creator looked towards the defeated bot below. "And as for you..." Nova looked up weakly,

"Perhaps...I do have some use for you." he mused, "A formidable fighter...filled with resentment." he smiled devilishly, "Oh yes...you do have potential."

Nova shook their head, "But you said-"

"That was before I realized you could be of use to me." The Creator cut them off, "Now, you won't have your freedom, but...how does it sound that you will serve-"

"I will not be serving anyone. Not anymore." Nova snapped back, "I will not be a slave to a sick freak like you!"

The Creator tilted his head at the response, before chuckling...

"Oh...how pitiful."

Nova's head shot up at the tone, the sound of a guard rapidly approaching filled their ears,

"What makes you think you have a choice?"

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5 months, 3 days, and 42 seconds...

That's how long Clank had to get any and all valuable information from the Lombaxes for The Creator to retrieve.

He had 5 months, 3 days, and 42 seconds to save Ratchet and get out of this cursed place...

5 months, 3 days, and 42 seconds to determine the life and death of thousands...

Until then, the chip would be corrupting his systems one by one. And, if he even tries to remove it now...it could kill him.

So yes, this was the only option at the moment....

Not like he enjoyed it....

After the chip was inserted, the guards dragged him down to the hangar, when he was unceremoniously thrown into a pod (not exactly a ship, as they were saying, but not like it mattered now...he was going to find Ratchet anyways.).He was still injured from the battle and too tired to really see what was going on...

"So...to the Lombaxes..." a guard outside the pod spoke to another guard, "Think this thing will be able to do it?"

"Hell no." the other bot replied, "Poor guy...no matter what The Creator would still kill him."

"Pity." another voice joined in, "At least it's not me..."

Clank jolted when the speakers overhead announced their destination, "Pod-13B ready for launch in 3...2...-"

Clank scrambled up to pull himself into a seat, trying to buckle himself in but before he could,

"-1...!"

And off he went...

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[Oliver]

[2 days later...]

He looked up at the man standing above the crowd, back uncomfortably straight and eyes gazing over each and every one of them. A news camera was aimed at his face from the back, ready to record the important announcement that he was about to spit out.

Oliver could do nothing but glare at the man.

Arc...

The camera's started rolling...

I come before you all today to share with you some troubling news." He looked down at his papers on the podium for just a split second, "Our war against The Creator has taken a turn for, quite possibly, the worst. Despite The Council's efforts at both intervening and negotiating, The Creator has remained quite firm in his stance towards all that are opposing him.''He cleared his throat, "Many individuals, across the whole solar system, have fallen to The Creator. Many are also in containment under his relentless, tyrannical rule that they are unable to escape without help. He held his head up high, "It is with a heavy heart that The Council has decided to pull out of the war, and place our planet on lockdown until further notice."

That caused some public outcry. Oliver winced as the volume suddenly grew, people calling out...

"What about my daughter? She is still out-"

"I can't believe this!"

"How could you!? Those people need help!"

"Cowards! I never thought The Council would be so-"

"It has to be a lie!"

Oliver froze in place, breath leaving him, "What about Arthur!? He is still out there!" he thought to himself as the people continued to cry out.

"Silence!" Arc bellowed, holding up a hand to get everyone's attention again. The guards behind him stood up straight, a warning to anyone who would try to come at the man, if they were angry enough, that is...

"I assure you that all precautions are being taken. Any Lombax off of the planet will be directed to the nearest safe zone. I implore you all to think about those around you. If we were to continue in the fight, it would mean nothing but bloodshed for all of us." He cleared his throat once more, "We made this decision with the safety of our people in mind. If there should be any problems, you can direct them towards our Council assistants in their offices, as per appointment." he straightened out his papers, looking out towards the crowd. "That is all for today. This lockdown starts today at sundown. Good day." and that was it.

The man ignored any questions that were directed toward him at that moment, but Oliver could care less. He was too shocked to speak, let alone move.

W-What about his brother? He...he couldn't come back any more! He was lost and who knows where the fuck he was! Was he safe!? Was he-

He shook his head, breathing in and out rapidly as he tried to get his bearings. He needed to get home. Now.

He weaved through the crowd, not caring who he bumped into. His only goal was to get home and possibly talk to his parents. No doubt they would be worried about Arthur, they had to be. Arthur was currently out there while a war was going on and-

Ratchet was out there too...

Oliver started to feel sick, the anxiety and fear pooling together in his stomach and festering, threatening to swallow him whole as the emotions kept building up within him.

And before he knew it, he was home. He pulled out his keys and unlocked it, pushing it open and shutting it quickly after.

"Mom? Dad?" no response.

Well, great. Looks like they were still out, as always. How could he depend on them for emotional support when they were gone all the time? Wouldn't they have come back if they were worried about Arthur? Or upset? Hell, their son was out there and who knows if he was safe!

He pushed his back to the wall, sliding down it as he tried to come to terms with the situation. This was...this wasn't going how he expected it to. Yeah, they planned to save Ratchet and send him away to safety, but he never planned to lose Arthur along the line.

Then again, he should have expected it. How was Arthur going to come back without being apprehended by The Council anyways? He helped Ratchet escape, after all. There was no way he could get out of that. So maybe...it was better for him to be off-planet.

That's if The Council doesn't go out and look for him themselves...

He held his head in his hands and sighed, tears coming to his eyes as he thought about it more and more.

Arthur was gone.

Ratchet was gone.

And now The Council is taking more control over the people.

He never expected things to go this way.

"Why...why did this have to happen?" he whispered to himself, "Why..." he started to sob out.

This all happened because of me...

He could have been there for Ratchet. He could have stopped his brother from getting involved. He could have stopped everything. He could have...he could have...

He shouldn't have even done this.

He was foolish to think that going against The Council was going to go off without a hitch. Yeah...they save Ratchet. But at a cost.

He hated to think...but if they never saved Ratchet, things could have been better...

Then again, Kaden and Phoebe would have done it themselves. Of course they cared deeply about him, but The Council proved to be ruthless. They had minions, assistants, guards, and even Alister Azimuth himself under their rule.

If they could turn a man like Alister against his friend, Kaden, then who knows what else they could do...

He didn't know, but he felt like what happened today was just the start of The Council showing their true colors to everyone...

Deep down he just hoped that he wouldn't regret his decisions down the line...

...

Hopefully...

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[Kaden]

The world was a blur...

He looked around the room he was in. It was...his garage? And by looking down at his feet...it looked like he was floating but...also not. He was frozen in place as the scene played out in front of him...

His hands held out an all too familiar model of a ship, handing it to-

To Ratchet.

To his son...

Ratchet took it with a smile, their hands brushing against each other for just a minute as bright green eyes looked down at the model, seemingly proud of his work. Kaden felt his own words pour out of his mouth before he could even process what was happening...

"Why don't you keep it and display it in the spare room. You need something to decorate it, don't you?"

Ratchet looked up at him again, a smile still bright on his face. Seems like he already made his choice,

"While that's a great idea, I think there is another place to put it, if you don't mind?" Kaden felt his brows raise at the response.

This...he remembered this...

"Y-Yeah, sure. Whatever floats your boat!" he found himself saying.

At this, Ratchet looked around the garage in awe, searching for something he knew was there. His eyes brightened as he found what he was looking for, immediately walking toward the shelves on the far side of the room.

His body moved on auto-pilot, feet barely making a sound.

He was here. But also not.

He watched silently as Ratchet stood up on his tip-toes and slid the model carefully onto one of the higher shelves. He sighed in relief, turning around with a satisfied look on his face. Kaden was surprised....well, at the time he was. Now he is just melancholic from watching this all over again...like a movie. A bittersweet movie.

Ratchet started to speak again, "Look, if I really am a 'ship-enthusiast', I probably have a bunch of ship-related things back...home. So, I want it displayed here so we can look back on it. And, when I leave, you can have it to remember me by."

And Kaden...Kaden felt he wanted to cry. The same emotions he felt back then came back like a tidal wave, threatening to drown him out.

While he could remember the rest of the conversation they had back then, it seemed like everything froze in time. Ratchet stopped moving and, instead, had his head turned to stare at the model on the shelf.

This...was all a dream. Kaden could tell. And if it wasn't...maybe he died from his injuries and he was looking back on the past? No...that wasn't right. He didn't really feel dead, after all. It just felt...odd.

He was here with Ratchet...but not.

He found himself reaching forward, now being able to control himself on this odd plane of existence. Without thinking, he whispered out, "Ratchet..." and his voice echoed around him, sounding like a mantra.

And without missing a beat, this version of Ratchet turned to him. Now that Kaden gets a closer look at him, it almost looks like he is transparent. He found himself continuing anyway, reaching forward to place a hand on Ratchet's left shoulder, "Ratchet." he repeated quietly. The boy made no response or movement, only continuing to stare.

"I'm sorry," he said. For what, he didn't know., but he still felt like he had to say it. "I'm sorry that all of this had to happen." he said, "If I would have known everything beforehand I would have protected you from everything. I wouldn't put my faith in The Council to do good for you. I wouldn't trust Alister who...who is known to be loyal to them. Hell, I would have done so many things that I should've done for you." Ratchet just stared on, oblivious to the man's inner turmoil.

But that is to be expected. Especially if you are nothing but a dream, or an image created by a man that was filled with regrets.

"Even if you weren't my son, I probably could have done way better." he admitted, voice bitter, "But I can't change the past. I can't change the fact that I let you fall into The Council's grip in the first place. I can't change the fact that you're....that you're gone."

At this, the image of Ratchet tilted his head, as if he was actually listening. But Kaden knew better. This was just a ridiculous dream that his mind came up with to help him cope with what happened...

"I...I hope you're okay out there, y'know?" he frowned, "There's a whole war going on and who knows what else is going to come after you but...but I hope you're okay."

The room, if you could even call it that anymore, started to blur once more. Everything besides Ratchet, who stood firm in his place.

Kaden could feel a sudden shift, watching as Ratchet blurred even more, eventually unrecognizable in the sea of colors.

Still, he faintly heard Ratchet whisper something...

Kaden!

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"Kaden! Kaden? Are you...awake?"

Kaden cracked open his eyes, the bright light above him practically blinding him before he could even register what was going on. Once his eyes adjusted, he looked to the source of the voice,

"Phoebe...?" he whispered out, throat sore from disuse. His wife smiled brightly, "Kaden! Oh, I'm so glad you're okay!" she stood up from her chair and leaned down, wrapping an arm around his shoulders, clearly avoiding his left one, as it was injured. He wrapped his good arm around her, smiling tiredly as the woman pulled away, "Y-Yuin wasn't sure when you'd wake up..." she muttered. Kaden frowned at the cracks in her voice, "How...long was I out?"

"4 days." Phoebe shuddered, "We didn't know how bad your injuries were until he started working on you. Thankfully Alister missed anything vital but..." she looked at his injured shoulder, "It will take a while to heal, Kade."

Kaden nodded, looking down at his injury for the first time. Thankfully, it was nothing gruesome. Just a lot of bandages and gauze. Any pain must have been numbed, because he felt nothing but relaxed at the moment so...that was good.

"He...he was able to get away, right?" he asked his wife, voice low, "He's safe?"

"Oliver came by to tell me that Arthur and Ratchet got away safely." she frowned, "But...a lot has happened while you were out."

"Oh? What's that?"

"The Council has placed the whole city on lockdown. No one goes in or out." she let out a low hiss, "They said it was because of the war, but I doubt it. We all know the truth, after all."

Kaden scoffed, "Yeah, but if we say anything we could put others in danger..." he shook his head in exasperation, "At least...he got away."

Phoebe nodded her head in agreement, silently reaching over to the bedside table and handing a glass of water to Kaden, "That is all that matters." she replied, "I...just hope he's okay."

"He's a strong boy." Kaden found himself saying, "I am pretty sure that no matter what happens he'll be able to overcome it." but...it sounded like he was trying to convince himself of that fact as well...

"I suppose you're right." Phoebe tilted her head down, "Still, he's just a boy, Kade."

This time it was Kaden's turn to nod and look away. They were both right, but it's not like they knew what Ratchet was going through at that moment. Yes, Ratchet escaped, but was he safe? What was he doing right now? What was he thinking of right now?

They wouldn't know.

"He'll come back." Kaden told her, "I know he will."

Phoebe looked over at him, frowning, "How...can you be so sure?" she asked, "If he does remember his past after all of this is done, how do you know that he will stay?" Kaden's brows furrowed, "If everything was true in that book, Kade, he has a whole other life that we don't even know about."

Well...she wasn't wrong...

Kaden sighed, "No matter how everything will turn out-" he made eye contact with her, "I am just glad that we did everything we could to help him."

...and while that was the truth, he couldn't help but feel upset from his own words. He wanted to see Ratchet again. He wanted to have a conversation with him again. He wanted the chance to be a family with him again. After all is said and done, he hated that he wanted to be selfish for once and keep Ratchet with them. Even if he does have another life to get back to...he just wanted that chance...

Phoebe didn't reply. Perhaps she was thinking the same thing as he was at that moment. Kaden could tell that his words affected her as well...

He wished that she would tell him. Phoebe was usually filled with words that could help guide him and calm him, but she often closed up when her own emotions became too much. Even then, he found himself at a loss for words that coil tried to console her...

He clenched his fist, he hated feeling so vulnerable...

After a few minutes of silence, the door to the room opened and in stepped Doctor Yuin with his clipboard in his hand. He turned towards them with a smile, "I'm glad you're awake, Kaden. I was getting quite nervous with you taking so long." Kaden just waved at him tiredly. "You look well, however. Your injuries seem to be healing up nicely-" he stepped forward until he was at the foot of Kaden's bed, "If everything checks out, you can be out of here before you know it!"

Kaden smiled softly, "Thanks, Doc. But...I still need to talk with you about something..."

Yuin raised a brow, adjusting the glasses perched on his nose, "Oh? What would that be?"

"You already told me why...why you didn't tell any of us about Ratchet." Yuin's ears tilted down at the words, "Just...Yuin I really need to know what they told you."

The Doctor gulped audibly, setting his clipboard down at the edge of the bed, "Well...you know that the DNA sample that I took from him was a match. At that moment I...I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I ran the sample through the system so many times and it came back with the same results. Eventually, I called it quits and handed in my findings to The Council. A few hours later they came in here telling me not to say a word to you, or anyone else." he pinched the space between his brow, "I only heard bits and pieces since then. A Council Member came in from time to time to make sure I stayed silent. I heard some whispers about the memories they retrieved and things they found out through them. Eventually, they told me that it was for Ratchet's own good." he shook his head, "I don't know what changed. First, they wanted the boy to remain oblivious. As long as he did so, then he would be left alone. Something must have happened that made The Council decide they needed him."

He looked up to Kaden then, "I don't know what happened out there, but by the look of your injuries...I don't want to know the details."

"We helped him escape." Kaden replied, "The Council was keeping him in captivity and we...we just couldn't let that happen, y'know?"

Yuin nodded in understanding, "I see...he is no longer in danger, then? I suppose that is what matters at the moment." a small smile, "I...I don't expect you to forgive me for my silence, but I will help you in any way I can from here on out."

Kaden and Phoebe both nodded gratefully as he picked his clipboard back up, "I'll see what I can do about getting you out of here today. You'll have to-"

"Doctor." Kaden cut him off. Yuin looked back over to him, "Do you...do you know how Alister is doing?"

Phoebe glared at him for even asking....

"I'm...afraid not." Yuin mumbled. This time, Phoebe's glare was replaced by shock, "W-What!?"

"He never came in. Was he wounded as well?"

Kaden froze, "He...he was shot."

Yuin stared at him, eyes wide. He shook his head frantically, "I-I see...Well... as I said, General Azimuth was never checked in. And now that you mention it..." he eyed Kaden's injured shoulder, "He was the one that caused that, correct? Those burns could come from a weapon such as his."

"Yeah...yeah he did." Kaden mumbled, still numbed by the news. Phoebe remained silent as she tried to swallow the information herself. Don't get her wrong, she was very, very angry with Alister and would never forgive him for what he did to her husband, but it was the thought of it that was hard to swallow...

Where was he?

Yuin's next words shook them out of their thoughts, "That's...very troubling..." Yuin muttered, "To think, a General like him would stoop that low..." he turned his back, making his way to the door, "I'll see if my staff knows anything, but until then, just try to relax..."

And in the next second, he was gone, leaving Kaden and Phoebe alone with each other once more.

"I...I don't fucking understand." Kaden spat, "How...how could he just disappear!?"

"Who cares?" Phoebe glared at him, "H-He tried to kill Ratchet, Kaden! And he almost killed you in the process!" Kaden's ears lowered at her words, "Are you telling me that you are sympathizing with him!? I can't believe you!" she sat back, crossing her arms as she turned her head away, "You're a kind person, Kade. But a line must be drawn somewhere!"

"I know that, Phoebe! I know!" he tried to get her to look at him, "And I know that what he did was wrong! I don't forgive him but...I can't just let him go like that!"

"Oh? You two have been friends for years...so what!? He almost killed you!"

"But he didn't kill me." he argued, "I already told you I don't forgive him, but I need to know where he is."

"Why?"

"For answers." he stated, "I need answers from him. I need to know why. I need to know everything, Phoebe. I can't just let it go."

With a heavy sigh, she turned back to him, "I...guess I can understand but-" she pointed one finger at him, "-If I ever see his face again I'll punch his teeth out."

Kaden chuckled, "I believe you, Pho." She smiled knowingly at him, before leaning forward to kiss him on the cheek.

And yeah, everything was messed up at the moment, but...they could figure things out. His job wasn't done, after all. With the city on lockdown, a lot of things must be going on behind The Council's closed doors. There were so many things they didn't know about yet...perhaps Mags could help him get more answers? Yeah, he'll have to ask him first thing when he gets out of here. Finding out where Alister went would have to wait for now...

Now...he needed to heal and find out things on his own. It was all he could do at the moment. Ratchet was safe and everyone is on lockdown...

He had to figure things out before they could get even worse and-

"Hey! I could practically hear you thinking right now. Get out of your head!" Phoebe pinched him, "When you get out of here later I am not making any dinner. I want take-out!"

He rolled his eyes as she jabbed her elbow into his side, her words cheering them both up (just a little bit) so they could ignore their worries for just a few moments.

Tomorrow was another day, after all. They could face reality then...

⊱ ────── {⋅. ✯ .⋅} ────── ⊰

[Oliver]

[The Next Night]

Oliver looked down at the tear-stained letter in his shaky hands.

He could remember the events of the past hour vividly...

His mother was making dinner tonight, while his father sat at the kitchen table reading the holo-paper, sipping tea. It has been a while since they have all been together like this.

While Oliver should be happy...the one empty seat at the table reminded him of what was going on...

Yet, everything felt relatively normal, like how things were before Arthur came back. Yet...something still nagged at the back of his head. He just didn't know what it was until it knocked on the door...

*knock**knock*

His mother looked up from the cutting board, setting down her knife and wiping her hands on her apron. "I'll get it!" she called out, passing by Oliver on the couch and unlocking the front door. Oliver couldn't see who it was from his view on the couch, but he could see her visibly tense up...

The two individuals outside of the door handed his mother something, which she took, no questions asked. After a few more seconds of chatter, she stepped back to close the door slowly, looking down at the letter in her hand. Once she made sure the door was locked again, she went to rip the envelope open...

Oliver sat up when he saw the look on her face. It was a look he had never seen her wear before until this moment. It was a mixture of something....something dark and upsetting....he couldn't pinpoint it as her eyes raced across the page...

"Honey? Who was at the door?" his father called from the kitchen. His mother's head snapped up, before rushing into the kitchen and whispering frantically to his father.

"L-Lucas! You n-need to read this! Right now?" the shuffling of papers..."What? What is it?" he could hear his father grab it out of his mother's hands, "They just gave this to you!?"

Oliver stood up from the couch then, making his way into the kitchen where he saw his mother and father hunched over the table, both reading the paper in his father's hands, "May...this has to be a joke..." he heard his father whisper shakily, "It can't be..."

Oliver felt his heart drop, "It can't be what?" his parents turned to him, eyes watery. Lucas gripped the letter just a bit tighter, "Nothing you should be concerned about, Oliver." and Oliver knew that tone of voice. That was the same tone of voice that scolded him when he was little for jumping the fences in the schoolyard. That was the same tone of voice that told him when a conversation needed to end.

It was that same tone of voice that made Oliver want to push the limits. And by the looks on his parent's faces...he needed to know.

"No! I want to know what it is!" he stepped forward to grab at the paper, but his father pulled it away, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder, "Oliver-"

"-Let me see it!" Oliver reached up and tore the paper out of his father's grip, turning away from him once he finally laid his eyes on the words.

His ears lowered as his eyes filled with tears, only registering the keywords on the paper. He felt his mother lay a gentle hand on his shoulder, "Oliver...h-honey let's-"

He shook the hand off, "L-Leave me alone!" the words...the words...the words...

Arthur Abletress....The Council....declared missing....cargo ship 097-

No no no no no no-

He started to hyperventilate, claws threatening to tear through the paper as the words burned into his brain....

Arthur...Arthur...missing...miss-

He couldn't do this....

Without another word, he clutched the letter tightly and bolted out of the kitchen, ignoring the cries of his parents and he hastily slipped his boots on and opened the front door in record time. He didn't even bother to shut it as he ran down the street, the bitterly cold air biting at his skin...

No no no no no no-

And here he was, in the present, the letter still clutched tightly in his hands.

Just sitting here,

Numb.

He found himself sitting on top of the roof of a local bakery, having climbed up the ladder in the back a long time ago. Has it been minutes? Hours? He didn't know and he surely didn't care. At this point, he didn't know if this letter from The Council was the truth or just a cover-up. But...it still hurts. If it was true, Arthur could be out there dead or hurt. If it was a cover-up....then what was happening?

Crashed....his ship...crashed...declared missing...gone...just gone...

He hated not having answers, but it's not like he could do anything about it...

"Please..." he found himself whispering out, "Please be fake...please....please..." he looked up to the sky, stars shining bright above him as he kept pleading to...to something, anything that was there to hopefully listen and give him some sort of answer. Some sort of sign....anything...

"Please...Plea-" he paused, squinting as he saw a bright light from above move...closer?

Probably just a shooting star or some shit...he told himself.

But he was wrong...

The light seemed to come closer, turning a vibrant shade of orange as it moved across the sky. Closer...closer...closer...

"Yeah...definitely not a shooting star!"

He ducked as the light soared overhead (even though it wasn't even close to him...at all) hearing it pass over him-

*Whoosh!*

He lifted his head, letting out a gasp as he saw the light hurtle towards the ground, just outside the city walls. Burning pieces of the...ship? Space pod? Fell down to the ground below before the final piece landed in a cloud of smoke.

Surprisingly, it didn't make much noise, but someone else had to have seen that besides him...that had to! Which meant....

He had to get there first but...

How was he supposed to get outside the city!?

His feet started moving on their own accord as he turned to make his way off the building to go to one of the city's gates. He just hoped and prayed that there was no one there to see him try to leave...

That...and he hoped that the lousy guards would be too lazy to do their jobs...

Closing in...he looked around the street corner to the city exit, watching as two guards stood diligently on either side of the gates....

Shit...

He looked up to the sky once more, eyeing the dissipating trail of smoke in the air. Did...did no one see that!? Not even the guards!?

No matter...he has to get there before anyone else does. It could be Arthur! Or Ratchet! Or something that either of the two sent back!? Or maybe it was something that could help the Lombaxes get out of this mess!?

....or....or maybe he was just being too curious for his own good....?

He shook away the thoughts and crept forward, trying his best to stay in the shadows as he approached the gates. Upon closer inspection, it seemed that these guards were the only two on sight (at least, from what he could tell). So maybe he could find a way to distract them?

Ah, who was he kidding? There was no way he could-

*pring...pring!*

Oliver's fur stood on end as he watched one of the guards take out their communicator-

"Yes, sir?" The guard stood firm as the voice on the other side of the line spoke frantically, "Really, right now?" the guard raised a brow, "Well...I am currently stationed outside gate C and-" the voice cut them off. Irritated, the guard let out a heavy sigh, looking over to their counterpart next to them, "Yeah, sure. We'll wait for back up." their brows shot up the next second, "M-meet us now? But, sir! There is no other-" the voice cut them off again, so they just rolled their eyes, "Affirmative, sir. We will be there right away."

With that, the guard pocketed their communicator and turned to their counterpart, who looked at them tiredly, "What does the boss want now?"

"Something happened just beyond the gates." the guard replied, "He needs us to meet up with the guards from the other gates."

The other guard huffed in exasperation, "And just when our shift was about to end...we don't get paid enough for this shit." they both started to walk away, blasters to their sides as they tried to lower their voices...

"No...No we do not."

Oliver watched in shock as the guards started to walk away and out of sight.

Talk about timing...

He hopped out of his hiding spot and approached the gate, ready to step out until...

A sense of fear started to consume him...

This...this would be his first time outside of the gates! He...he didn't know what was beyond or...or anything about what was going to happen! To make things worse, if he fucks up and makes a big mistake, he could end up getting into a bad situation with no way out...

So...was this worth it?

He looked to his left, and then to his right. Before reaching forward to shove the gate open and slide through the opening...

He had to be quick!

He stumbled forward as the grounds beneath his feet felt unfamiliar to him. All dirt mixed with sand and some other stuff made it quite slippery to run on. But, he reminded himself, if he stays on track, everything will go fine...hopefully.

He started heading in the direction of the crash site, hoping to find it before the smoke cleared out and get there before anyone else that was after it would. Once the guards meet up, they would not take their sweet time looking, after all.

Still, as he ran through the trees, the little voice in the back of his mind reared its head, making him doubt his decisions in the past hour and questioning if this was the logical thing to do. Not like he cared, he was too hopeful that this was Arthur or Ratchet related and that he couldn't care less about anything else at the moment.

Like, he didn't care about the tiny raindrops starting to fall on his head, or the rocky terrain, or the charred trees and the ashes flying past his-

"Shit!" he yelped, body tumbling down a steep slope before coming to a stop at the bottom. Spitting the ashes out of his mouth, he lifted his head from the ground, hands clenching at the dirt. The smoke in front of him blocked most of the view but right in the center of the crater he just fell into was-

"Holy shit..."

Yeah...that definitely was a space pod...

The exterior of the ship was practically nonexistent, with only a few pieces of sheet metal hanging on, partially bent. The rest of the pod was...somewhere. A few odd pieces were lying about, but they were too damaged to be salvaged in any way. Besides that....the most surprising thing was laying right in the middle of the wreckage...

Oliver gulped, eyes widened in disbelief as he took a step forward, and then another, heart racing in anticipation as some of the smoke cleared away, and right in front of him was-

-He gasped audibly, almost stumbling forward as he couldn't believe what he was seeing...

....

What...the hell!?

⊱ ────── {⋅. ✯ .⋅} ────── ⊰

So...what do you all think will happen next? Clank won, but at what cost? 🤔 Only time will tell...

Anyways, next chapter I will be doing different POVs so if you wanna see anyone in specific let me know! Besides that...

I really hope you all enjoyed the chapter! I tried my best with this one, but I have been quite stressed lately 😓 if you see any spelling or grammar mistakes, I will get to those eventually!

Hope you are all doing well! See you next time! ❤