Hello everyone!

There's a lot going on (long chapter too) so here is what's in store for this one: Talking. Everyone dealing with the aftermath of the news. Guilt. Fluff. And some more! So I hope you're excited!

Enjoy!

⊱ ────── {⋅. ✯ .⋅} ────── ⊰

[Ratchet]

"There's no need to panic!"

Qwark looked around, addressing the small crowd of soldiers who were in distress. Ratchet and Nefarious stood way in the back, arms crossed as they listened to the man speak.

Since the wanted posters were revealed, everyone, including Qwark was worried beyond belief. Not just because a bounty was on their heads, but also because The Creator had a better chance of finding their hideout.

That was the most worrying thing to him. He wasn't so concerned about himself being targeted, but he was mostly concerned about the innocent survivors here. People were wounded and unable to defend themselves. There were children and babies and people that were sick.

One of the soldiers in the crowd stepped forward, "We can't just sit here and let this happen! Before we know it, The Creator will be knocking at our doorstep and kill us all!" people around them nodded in agreement, "Yeah! The longer we stay here, the more we put ourselves at risk!" another said.

Qwark started to rub the back of his neck, a nervous habit, "Look, I-I understand that! B-But think about it! We can't just up and leave without there being a safer place to stay out there!"

Ratchet looked towards Nefarious. Looks like they both agreed with the man.

The small group went silent at that, only one person having enough hope left to speak up, "B-But...what do we do?"

Qwark became a bit of a stuttering mess at that question, "U-Uhm..." he made eye contact with Ratchet then, a silent cry for help.

Standing up straight, Ratchet walked forward, parting the crowd as he went to stand next to Qwark, who sighed in relief.

"We fight." Ratchet said simply, "I know most of us are wounded, sick, and tired of the fighting. But the only way for this to really end is by standing up for"

"Easy for you to say!" he was interrupted, "You and your kind have done close to nothing this whole time! You all left us to defend ourselves!"

"But I'm here!" Ratchet said coldly, "I am not responsible for everyone else on my planet and their decisions, but I am here helping you now while I am not even allowed to be off the planet in the first place!" his eyes moved across the crowd, making eye contact with a few, "I saved some of you on the battlefield already. I even stayed behind to look for survivors, risking my own life. So you can complain about me being here all you fucking want, but I will not cower in the face of evil-" he glared, "Like most of you are."

Many of the people looked angered, "I know most of you are devastated by what The Creator is doing, but running away is not going to solve anything. On top of that, we have no other place to go." he looked up towards Qwark, "Unless we have some sort of plan, leaving is not an option."

Qwark looked down at him, "What...kind of plan?"

"Anything is better than just sitting around!" Ratchet replied, "There are a few ships that we can send out to possibly scout out other planets to see if they're safe. But then again, we are risking being seen or captured at that point." Ratchet tapped his chin in thought, "But then again, the longer we sit here, the more likely we are to be found...."

His eyes suddenly widened.

He had an idea.

"What if we all split up into groups?"

He was met with silence. The small group looked at each other. Qwark hummed in thought, "That could work, but...I don't think we have enough soldiers to go around." he muttered sheepishly, "I don't mean to worry everyone but...uh..our numbers are dwindling..."

"Then we can recruit more." Ratchet said simply, "Instead of taking in wounded people, survivors or refugees, why can't we just go out and recruit more." Qwark's eyes widened, actually thinking about what Ratchet was saying, "Undercover, of course. And we have to be extra secretive about it. Maybe then we'll find a safer place to go in the process, but we need more people to join us in the fight."

He looked back to the soldiers then, watching as some of them started to nod in agreement. "That makes sense..." one of them commented, "But how exactly are we going to go undercover when The Creator probably has spies everywhere."

"Yeah! Most humans still live among bots...so how-"

"We'll just have to stick to the shadows." Ratchet reasoned, "That, or just try to fight against The Creator with our small group in which-" he opened his arms, gesturing to the small group and the empty space behind all of them, "-I don't think we'll stand a chance for much longer."

More and more people started to agree with him,

"More people means more support. More people means that our chances of taking down the Creator increase drastically."

An older, grumpy soldier towards the back of the group scoffed, "Really? And why should we believe you? You're a kid!"

Ratchet was taken aback a bit. If he was being honest with himself, it did not feel like this was the first time he had to rise to the occasion like this. This felt so familiar that...well, he felt like he was ready for what was to come no matter what.

It was odd. He had way more confidence now than he had these past months. He felt like he could predict every move. Every word. Every single order that came out of The Creator's mouth. He felt like he knew where this situation was going.

He felt above the rest of these people as if he was more experienced than all of them combined. But besides that...he felt quite unstoppable...

But no matter how trigger-happy he was, he could not be too reckless and just head into things. He had to think about the people...and the rest of the galaxy as well.

"Do you have a better plan?" he shot back, "Because from what I have been hearing these past couple hours is people panicking without thinking about the next move. So if you have a better plan, say it now."

The man, as well as the rest, were silent. Ratchet looked up towards Qwark, "What do you think?"

The man puffed out his chest, "I think that's a great idea, sidekick!" he looked towards the group, "We'll talk about the details in the morning! For now, why don't we all just sit, relax, and watch some nice soap operas on-"

"The holo-televisions don't work." One of the soldiers mumbled as they walked away, "Maybe the Lombax can fix it." Ratchet glared as they walked past him, but said nothing.

One by one, they all left the area. The only ones left were Ratchet and Nefarious, staring at one another in silence until one of them broke, "I hope you know what you're doing, squishy." Nefarious grumbled. Ratchet rolled his eyes, a smile on his face, "I don't know about you, Nef, but I am pretty confident."

"Yeah. I can see that." Nefarious uncrossed his arms, turning his back to him, "I think you just started something that will either kill us all or save us all. And just for your information, I HATE relying on a squishy like you." he sneered at the boy.

"I know, Nefarious. I know." Ratchet smirked. The robot just growled and shook his head, leaving Ratchet behind. He looked around, seeing only one or two people in his view.

He should start preparing...

He started to head back to his cot and check his manifestor, slowing down slightly as he remembered something.

He should probably check on that kid...

He knew something about Clank. Ratchet needed to find out what it was.

He made a sudden turn, passing by a few people that glared at him. Very few smiled and even less greeted him. Not like it mattered to him.

He peeked his head around to the corner, watching as some medics darted back and forth. Some were tending to the wounded while others were looking through their supplies. People laid on stained cots as the medics bandaged them up. Other patients were sleeping or too in pain to open their eyes. He frowned, finally stepping forward to head to the boy he saved.

But when he arrived...he wasn't expecting a certain individual to be there-

"Aaron...?"

The man looked up from his seat next to the kid's bed. Ratchet watched as the man's eyes glistened with unshed tears. Ratchet felt awkward just standing there in the silence, so he quickly glazed over to the boy laying on the bed and-

Oh...he was staring too.

Aaron suddenly bolted up from his seat, the chair hitting the ground as he stood up, enveloping Ratchet in his strong arms and squeezing the air out of the boy. Ratchet heard him whisper, "Thank you...Thank you! Thank you!" into his ear as he started to cry on his shoulder. Ratchet froze for a moment, lifting his arms up after a while to pat the man's back.

Uhh...this was really, really awkward now...

"Uhm...for what, exactly?"

The man pulled back, a blinding smile on his face as he placed his hands on Ratchet's shoulder. "Y-You-" he wiped at a tear running down his cheek, "-You saved m-my son!"

Ratchet was stunned, dumbfounded as he looked between the man, and the quiet boy on the bed (that seemed to be looking at him with wonder in his eyes). "Y-Your son!? I saved-"

"Yes! Y-Yes you did!" Aaron brought him into a hug again, "I-I thought he was gone! I thought he was dead a-and you saved him! You brought him back to me!" he started sobbing Ratchet smiled awkwardly and started patting the man's back again. "I-It was no problem..." he chuckled, not knowing what to say at the moment, "I'm glad he's okay."

And Aaron pulled back once more. Instead, he dragged Ratchet to the side of the bed, "Ashby, this is Ratchet!" He introduced Ratchet to his son. Ratchet, smiling, reached out his hand for the boy to shake.

And Ashby did...

"T-Thank you for saving me!" he piped up, "I thought I was done for!"

"There's no need to thank me." Ratchet replied, "As I said, I'm just glad you're okay! You-"

"Do you know someone named Clank!?"

Aaron looked at his son, scolding him lightly, "Ashby. Don't interrupt people." he said, but the boy just ignored him. "C'mon! You're a Lombax too, right? You have to know him!" he looked up at Ratchet hopefully, "You two even have funny names! You gotta know each other!"

Wait...Clank and I are both Lombaxes? I thought...

Save the thought for later...

Aaron looked like he was about to scold the boy again, but Ratchet stopped him, "I...I do know him." he looked down, "It's...complicated, but I have been looking for him for a long time."

"So...you don't know where he is?"

"No. How did you meet him?"

"He is the one that saved Ashby, apparently." Aaron answered for the boy, "If he didn't..." he didn't finish his sentence, Ratchet knew what he meant to say anyway. "I see..." he said, "When was the last time you saw him?"

"He...was taken by The Creator!" Ratchet's eyes widened, tail going still and ears lowering, "R-Really?"

"H-He...got himself caught to save me." Ashby said tearfully, "I'm sorry..."

Ratchet was upset, but there was no way that it was Ashby's fault. In fact...that seemed like a very "Clank thing" to do...

At least...he thinks Clank would do something like that...

"What? It's not your fault!" He told the boy, "Knowing Clank, if he did it, he did it for a good cause. Which was keeping you safe. That is all that matters right now."

He'd have to dwell on the fact that Clank was captured later on tonight. It's not like he could do anything at the moment. (He also didn't want to become an emotional wreck in front of the kid...)

"I guess..." Ashby mumbled, looking down at his blanket-covered lap.

*Rumble*

Ratchet and Ashby looked up in surprise, a small blush on the boy's face from embarrassment. Aaron laughed, "Okay kid, I'm gonna get you something to eat!" he smiled towards his son, sending a glance towards Ratchet before sprinting (or was he skipping?) out of sight. Ratchet let out a sigh of relief.

"I think I should get going too." Ratchet said, "I have to"

"Ratchet?"

He tilted his head at the boy, waiting for him to continue, "I miss Clank too..." Ashby whispered, "D-Do you think he will be okay?" his voice started to quiver. Ratchet reached forward to place a hand on the little boy's head, ruffling his hair, "I know he is! Clank wouldn't back down that easily!"

He was trying to reassure himself of that fact as well...

Ashby nodded, swiping Ratchet's hand away playfully, "O-Okay...I believe you!" he said. Ratchet nodded, turning to leave. But just before he could say his farewell...

"Ratchet?"

He turned around once more, brow raised, "Yeah?"

"Do you think you can come back later?" the boy asked hopefully, "I-I want to hear more about Clank, and you too!" Ratchet's smile got brighter as the boy continued, "Clank was so cool! A-And you seem cool too! You have to have cool stories to tell me!"

"Well...I guess I do..."

He had to make up some stuff it seems. He couldn't remember much but he couldn't say no to the boy's puppy eyes...

"R-Really? You will?"

"Yep! I'll come back later!" Ratchet said, "But I gotta check on some things real quick! I'll be back."

"You promise?"

Ratchet made eye contact with the boy, who just stared at him excitedly. And while Ratchet needed to check his guns and get some sleep...

He didn't have the heart to say no.

"I promise."

⊱ ────── {⋅. ✯ .⋅} ────── ⊰

[Phoebe]

She placed a gentle hand on Kaden's uninjured shoulder.

She tried to soothe him, "Kaden, it's going to be okay..." she said softly, "He's going to be fine." but the man just...sobbed.

His elbows were propped up on the kitchen counter as he held his head in his hands. He stared down as his teardrops plopped down onto the black granite countertop. Hands clutching the sides of his head.

It was quite rare for him to cry like this, but this particular event made the man finally break. The events of the past weeks have worn him down to nothing, and now that his son was targeted by a psychopath, he couldn't help but think of anything but the worst.

Usually, Phoebe found herself crying like this when things got too much. But at this moment she needed to be strong for her husband, who was usually her rock during terrible times. He was the one that soothed her most of the time...

Kaden needed it.

And she needs to take care of him.

"Y-You think everything is gonna be fine!? He's...He's-"

"Honey, you need to breathe." her hand moved from his shoulder to his upper back, "Just relax, okay. We'll figure everything out and Ratchet is going to be okay. You know that." the man wiped at his cheeks, "He's gotten this far, don't you believe in him?"

It took a bit for Kaden to choke out an answer, "I-I do." he finally whispered, "I really do."

"Well, I agree. He's a strong boy. He's our strong boy, Kaden. W-While it may seem like a bad situation, all we can do is believe in him right now and pray for his safety. I think- No, I know that he'll get through this. We all will."

Kaden nodded his head, hands relaxing as he pulled his head up. Phoebe watched silently as he went to grab a napkin out of the napkin holder, blowing his nose.

It usually took Kaden to have a lot of courage to be vulnerable like that in front of her. He was so open with her, yet having a breakdown like this was almost unheard of when it came to him.

She was grateful that he let her see him like that instead of running into the garage.

She grabbed his arm and led him to the kitchen table, where he sat down "Thank you...Pho." he whispered to her. "No need to thank me, Honey." she leaned down to kiss his cheek, "I'll always be here for you, Kade."

"Right back at you." he smiled at her. As she pulled back, he looked around the room, "Where's Clank?"

Phoebe froze at that, thinking about where the boy could be, "I...I suppose he is still upstairs."

Kaden shifted to get up and off the chair but Phoebe stopped him, "Let me put a kettle on the stove for some tea and I'll go check on him, okay?"

Kaden looked like he was about to argue, but relaxed back into his seat.

He really wanted to run upstairs and see how Clank was doing, but maybe he needed space as well and Kaden would only be interrupting the boy...

Something told him otherwise, but he ignored it. Looks like his protective instincts were trying to get the better of him...

He just sat there, waiting for his lovely wife to come back with cups filled with warm, calming tea. And once she did, she would go to bring Clank down and he would finally be able to give the boy a hug that would comfort them both.

He smiled at the thought.

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[Clank]

He sat there on the bed, staring blankly ahead.

He couldn't pinpoint what he was feeling at the moment. Was this heaviness in his chest sadness? Anger? Anxiety? A mix of all?

He wasn't sure. But what he did know was that this feeling sucked.

It felt like his systems were freezing up one by one, and he hated it.

This overwhelming pressure behind his eyes didn't feel normal either. Was he malfunctioning? He would have to look at that later...

*Tink*Tink*

He whipped around, looking at the window in confusion. He scanned the environment...was that-

*Tink* A small pebble hit the window. Curious, he went over to slide the window up, looking out and down at the ground below. "Oliver!?" he asked, quite stunned at the sight of the boy.

Oliver had his hands shoved into the pockets of his burgundy hoodie. His black jeans were soaked, as well as his white sneakers that were caked in dirt. He obviously ran here if his audible panting was anything to go by...

"Hey Clank..." he croaked out, voice strained, "You think you could come down?"

Clank looked around, seeing no one else around. "Now? Why can't you come to the front door?"

"I...don't feel like seeing Kaden and Phoebe...or any adults." Oliver sighed heavily, tapping his foot impatiently. "Come down."

"It's freezing!"

"I need you."

Clank paused, tilting his head at the boy as he raised a brow. Oliver groaned, "Not like that you freaking idiot! I need you to walk with me!" he stomped his foot, "The Council is going to make an announcement soon!"

Clank pulled back, turning around to look at the room behind him. Thankfully his own boots were still in the room...

He didn't feel like seeing Kaden or Phoebe either. They both seemed like they needed some time to themselves after he showed them the wanted poster...

He had no right to interrupt them anyways...

He looked back down at Oliver, "Shouldn't I be covered?"

Oliver hissed, and looked around them to see if anyone was near.

They needed to hurry up...

"Just find something in Ratchet's closet or something!" he watched as Clank scrambled back inside. It took a minute or so for Clank to appear again, slowly getting himself out of the window. Once he was out, he stood on the roof and shut the window behind him. He then jumped down without hesitation. He was wearing a black, zip-up coat with a hood, effectively hiding his face. Oliver took him by the arm and started dragging him along,

"But what about Kaden and Phoebe? Won't they worry?"

"I'll text them that you're with me." Oliver replied, "Right now we have more important things to do."

Clank said nothing as Oliver pulled him along the street, watching as more and more people started to pass by them, all whispering to each other, sharing concerned looks,

"Can you believe it? I have never seen something so terrible!"

"Yeah, and it looks like he's just a kid too..."

"Hey! Isn't he that boy that was found outside the city months ago!?"

"I'm not sure...how could he get off-planet?"

"Hey! That has to be the kid that one that hoverboarding contest, right?"

"I wonder what The Council has to say about this..."

Clank almost stumbled as Oliver picked up his pace. He looked towards the boy, a bit agitated at being handled so roughly, but by looking at Oliver...

The boy was wiping at his cheeks, sniffling quietly as the rain picked up just a bit. He looked so distraught...

Oliver stopped suddenly, Clank colliding with his back. "Hey! Watch where you're going!" he told the robot, who just rolled his eyes in annoyance.

They looked around, a whole group of people surrounding them. A big building (that Clank assumed to be The Council's Headquarters) stood in front of them. A small podium was raised above the crowd, who waited eagerly for an explanation.

"I can't wait to hear their lies." Oliver whispered to him, "It's not like we can do anything about it, though."

"No...we can't." Clank responded, "Perhaps there may be some truth to it as well?"

"Doubt it. The Council is corrupt, and you'll see that once you hear them." Oliver pulled out his holo-phone, checking the time, "They should be coming on any minute. Hopefully they won't stop because of the weather." he grumbled. "I think-"

"Look! There's the General!" someone from the crowd shouted. Clank felt his breathing stall for a moment.

General!? No way...

Oliver gasped beside him, "No way..."

But there he was, General Alister Azimuth, standing in all of his glory. He held his head high as he looked down on the citizens below. Two Council Members standing behind him. Clank blinked as he did a scan....yeah, that definitely was Alister. The Council Member on the right was a female, the other male. Other than that, his systems couldn't recognize them...

A hover bot recording his speech was hovering over the crowd, and once Alister waited a few moments for everyone to settle down, he began, "Greetings, everyone. I am here today to inform all of you about this troubling news that we have all received today. I am sure you have a lot of questions, so let us begin with-"

A random person in the crowd raised their hand for a second, not even waiting to be called on-

"What is the name of this wanted Lombax?"

Alister looked a bit annoyed at being interrupted, but answered nonetheless, "We can not disclose that information."

Another person-

"How did this kit make it off the planet!?"

"We don't know the age of this Lombax or how they got off-planet." Alister replied.

Clank frowned as more and more voices started to speak up, Oliver practically growled, "This isn't a speech! This is just a stupid interview..."

Another voice piped up, louder than the others-

"What measures will The Council be taking to save one of our citizens?"

"We do not know the details at this time. However, I assure you that we are working together to solve this issue."

"How long will it take?" The same voice asked, a bit more desperate.

"I am unsure at this time but we will figure it out as soon as possible."

Clank grits his teeth. Even he could tell that Alister was just spouting lies at this point. The Council wasn't planning on solving this. The Council wasn't planning on how to save Ratchet. They never will.

He thinks that the people in the crowd were starting to catch on...

"Does The Council even care about this boy!?"

Most of the voices died down at that.

"That boy is now our top priority along with you citizens!" Alister answered loudly. "We will not rest until all of our citizens are safe within these walls!"

The voices of the crowd rose higher again...

"How much of a threat is The Creator?"

"Is the Council worried about The Creator?"

"Are we in danger?

Clank stiffened when he felt Oliver clutch at his arm. He looked down, only to see the boy have his head hung low, staring at the ground.

"The Creator is not posing a threat to us at this point in time." Alister answered cooly, "However, we are taking precautionary measures. Shutting down all transport vehicles and restricting outside access are all part of the procedure. This is all about our safety."

Clank yelped when he was suddenly tugged away, being pulled through the crowd like he was on a leash. Thankfully, it was over quickly and he took a big breath as he broke free from the crowd. He looked at Oliver, who kept tugging him along, "Hey! What was that for!?"

"Just follow me!"

Clank shut his mouth quickly. He could practically see that Oliver was in a very bad mood. His shoulders were stiff. His sneakers pounded against the pavement. His breaths came out hot and heavy. His free fist was clenched tightly, while the hand dragging Clank along threatened to dent the metal.

The rain started to pour down...and what they didn't notice was two, piercing blue eyes staring right at their backs...

After a few minutes, they arrived at Oliver's house. Clank looked up at the building as Oliver took out his house keys, struggling with the lock.

"Will...your parents be okay with me coming here?"

Oliver scoffed, "Why not? They're never home anyway." He unlocked the door and used his foot to push it open. The door slammed against the wall as he stomped in, not even bothering to take his wet sneakers off like Clank did by the door.

Clank scowled, having to stop himself from reprimanding the boy. Seriously, he was like Ratchet whenever he got temper tantrums...Clank couldn't even remember how many times he had to tell Ratchet off for not taking his shoes off...

"Clank!" Oliver called from upstairs, "Come on!"

Clank hurried up the stairs, following Oliver into his room, the door shutting behind him. Oliver ran over to his desk, pushing aside some papers until he found what he was looking for, holding it up to Clank.

He started rambling,

"L-Look, I know we are busy finding Ratchet a-and stuff but I need your help with something else." Clank was reading over the paper, "M-My brother went out there to help Ratchet escape and The Council gave my parents that stupid fucking paper a-and-"

"-You don't believe it." Clank finished for him, "You believe that The Council is lying to you."

"I know they are. My brother wouldn't just go and d-die on me!" and he sounded way more desperate this time, "Clank, please. My parents and I have been so, so upset about it and my parents are not even here for me that-"

Clank set down the paper and held his hand out, placing it on Oliver's shoulder.

He felt a bit awkward at the moment. He hasn't known Oliver for long, and to have the boy breaking down in front of him now was never on his list of things he wanted to experience while he was here. But...here he was, being the soundboard in the room. The listener. The shoulder to cry on...

Like always...

"What do you need help with, Oliver?"

"I need to find my brother!" Clank reeled back at the tone of voice, "I-I need to know he's okay! I-I need to know something, Clank. Please!" he pointed over to his computer, "C'mon! You...You have to be able to connect to the outside world, right? Get information that way!?"

Clank looked away, rubbing the back of his neck, "I am unsure if I can-"

"But you're a robot! Aren't you built to do these types of things!? C-Can't you just..." his voice trailed off as he sniffled, eyes welling up with tears, "Can't you at least try to do something?"

Clank looked back towards him, wincing at the sight, "I have not established a proper connection to the network yet. If I am not careful, I could alert people of my presence."

"How?" Oliver asked, "I can connect you right now! Let me just-"

"Oliver! Think about this." Clank urged him, "If The Council is as corrupt and controlling as you say, what makes you think that they are not monitoring their network?"

"Mask yourself with your firewall then, don't you have one!?" Oliver turned on his computer, "Clank, please."

Clank was...hesitant. With the way Oliver was looking at him, pleading...

Clank hated this, but being the pushover he (kinda) was...

"Fine."

Oliver stepped back and let Clank touch his computer. Clank closed his eyes,

[Network L0-0715 Found!]

[Connect?]

{Yes}<----

Connecting . . .

*ERR0R! F0REIGN 0BJECT F0UND*

*SEEK ASSISTANCE*

Clank pulled back in shock, looking down at his hand. Oliver looked at him in confusion...

"Hey? Did it work? Can you-"

"L-Let me try again..."

Clank reached forward, pressing his hand on the computer as he attempted to connect again...

*ERR0R*

Again...

*ERR0R*

[Manual Override?]

He hesitated...

...

[Yes]

...

[Affirmative. Connecting Now. . .]

He felt his hand twitch...

[Connected!]

He pulled back from the computer, feeling a bit tired after that...

"You did it!? Cool! Can you connect with the outside world!? Can you figure out-"

"I... am not authorized to do that over this network. If I had a computer of higher standing I could possibly... connect through there by using another network." he said, "In doing so, I will also need an upgrade so I can reach further networks."

Oliver looked away, agitated, "Great...this was for nothing, I guess." he sat down on his bed and Clank checked over his systems.

Everything was in place and working correctly...except his power was draining a bit too quickly...perhaps it was because he was now connected to the network? No, that couldn't be it. Maybe because it was cold outside? Yeah...Yeah, that had to be it!

But..."Foreign Object"? What could that-

Oh...Oh no...

It must be the microchip that The Creator ordered to be put inside him. But...but he had months left! Wasn't it a bit too soon to start it!? Maybe connecting to the network started it!?

....

He needed to-

"Hey...are you okay?"

Clank turned to Oliver, who was looking up at him, a worried expression on his face. "I...I'm sorry." Oliver said once Clank looked at him, "This whole time I've been dragging you around and trying to force you into helping me that I got too caught up in everything." Clank continued to listen, "I never asked how you were doing. You've known Ratchet for years, right? You must feel terrible..."

Clank clenched his fists, casting his worries away for now, "I am fairly new to emotions." he replied, "I find it hard to label them. If I were to compare my state to a human, I would say that I am in shock."

Oliver nodded in understanding, "That must suck....not being able to recognize how you feel." he shook his head, looking into Clank's eyes, "You must hate me for forcing you to be here."

"No, I don't." Clark replied instantly, "While I do wish you were less...abrasive towards me, I understand why you did it. I know what it's like to lose someone you hold so dear, I was practically the same way when I lost Ratchet. I...I became someone that I never wanted to be, and I made mistakes..." Clank looked away then, "Back then, I was willing to do anything and everything to get Ratchet back by my side. It was too hard for me to accept that my best friend was dead, and I was left in a state of denial."

He went to sit next to Oliver, "I am still willing to do whatever I can to get Ratchet back, even if it means sacrificing it all. I assume that you feel the same when it comes to your brother."

Oliver nodded at this, a comforting smile on his face.

"Oliver, Kaden, Mags, and I all have a plan. That includes getting into The Council's database and finding out what is going on behind the scenes. So after that-"

"-We can try making contact with people off-planet!" Oliver interrupted, "I'm gonna need to hear more about these plans but that's great! Why...didn't you tell me before?"

"Well..after all of this came up, I kind of forgot...."

Oliver nodded in understanding, going to speak but quickly getting cut off by Clank, who laid a gentle hand on his arm, "Oliver." he looked at Clank, "I promise you. We will find Ratchet and your brother safe and sound."

Oliver chuckled at that, wiping his teary eyes before fresh tears could start running down again, "That's a lot coming from a walking computer." Clank pouted, unamused.

"But really...thanks, tin-can." Oliver said sincerely. Clank looked a bit pissed at the nickname, but let it slide anyway.

He punched Oliver's arms gently as he started laughing at his expression. The boy only stopped when he pulled out his holo-phone, "O-Okay! I'm sorry! I'll never say it again!" Oliver giggled, holding out his phone, "Connect to this. This way we can keep in contact and you can tell me more about those plans."

Clank nodded, feeling his neck twitch a bit as he made the connection.

A new contact appeared in Oliver's contact list. The boy smiled at it, before putting it away once more...

Clank was about to get up and excuse himself, but Oliver stopped him by dragging him back down, "Hey...it's pouring outside." Clank looked over to the window and winced at the harsh droplets of rain that pelted against the window.

"Wanna play some video games?"

Clank turned his head back around, seeing Oliver holding up two remotes to his console, "We can play together?"

Clank hesitated, looking back to the window, and then back to Oliver again...

Then to his hands....looks like he had to get used to playing video games with five fingers...

Clank smiled, reaching forward to grab one of the remotes. Oliver grinned, leaning forward to turn his console on,

"Just one game."

⊱ ────── {⋅. ✯ .⋅} ────── ⊰

[Phoebe]

"I can't believe this!"

Phoebe winced as she got up to clean their mugs, hearing her husband shift in her seat. "That damn bastard! After what he did-" Phoebe cut him off, "Kaden, please, there is nothing we can do and you shouldn't get worked up about it."

She turned on the sink, humming to herself as she rinsed the mugs. Kaden seemed frustrated with her words, "Really? Do you even remember what he did, Phoebe? He helped jail Ratchet and put me in the hospital!" he banged his fist on the table, listening to the TV in the living room.

The speech was over, and only a few of the questions were answered. From what they saw, it seems like the people are paranoid and upset at The Council for not being completely honest with them. Anyone could see that The Council was trying to cover up some things.

"The Council is just making things worse for themselves." Kaden muttered, "They deserve it."

Phoebe dried her hands, "Kaden, I am just as pissed as you are but...I've been thinking..."

"About what?"

Phoebe spoke up, "I've been thinking about how many other victims there must be. From what we know, it seems like The Council tries to use people to get what they want." she walked back over to the table, "Just think about it...how many more people must be under their thumb in fear of what will happen to them."

Suddenly, he recalled a conversation he had with Alister over the holo-phone, the day after he found out that Ratchet was captured...

"-I don't understand how all the Head Members of The Council can just...go along like that. Are they just all corrupt?" he asked Alister, breath shaky as he tried to remain calm. Alister spoke up,

"Or are they too frightened to act otherwise?" Alister pointed out, "Fear is the greatest weapon, Kade."

Kaden looked down, thoughts running wild.

"Maybe Alister is one of those people, Kaden."

"That's not an excuse. He went after me, his best friend! And on top of that, he tried to attack our son. I-I can't forgive him. Not now." Kaden argued, "What could he possibly want to protect so much that he would go to such lengths?"

"Maybe his life?" Phoebe asked, "Other people's lives?"

"So do you forgive him?"

"No, never. I'm just making a point." she sighed heavily, going to twirl her hair with her finger as she spoke nervously, "J-Just...Ratchet may not have been the only one in those cells, Kaden."

Kaden went silent. He hasn't had time to think about that. So much has happened that he neglected to think about other people that may be in trouble. And if The Council would go as far as to harm a kid...then who knows what else they are hiding? More victims? Experiments? More deadly plans?

"All the more reason as to why they need to be stopped," Kaden said. Phoebe only nodded in agreement, turning away, "I'm gonna go check on Clank now, he should be ready to talk."

She went up to knock on his door before, only to be met with silence. She assumed that the boy was terribly upset and wasn't willing to speak to them, so she decided to give him space. But now...it's been a while, so she hoped he would open up and talk to them.

Even if it's just for a little bit...

*Knock*Knock*

"Clank, sweetie, are you okay?"

No response...

She knocked again, "I know you must be upset, Clank. Please, just open up and we can talk about everything, okay? Kaden and I are here for you."

Nothing.

She started getting nervous now, something compelling her to open the door...So she took in a slow, deep breath,

"I'm coming in, Clank."

She turned the knob, thankful that the door was open. "Hey, let's just-" she paused, swinging the door fully open, only to see an empty room. The bed was still made, and the books and papers on the desk were untouched. It seemed that the only thing out of place was a few pieces of clothing on the floor, scattered just outside the closet.

Her breath hitched, "KADEN!"

She froze in place, hearing the sound of something hitting the ground and the pounding of footsteps up the stairs, "Phoebe!? What happened!? Is he okay!? Is he-"

He paused, entering the room and looking around in shock.

No...No way...

Phoebe looked toward the man, panicking, "K-Kaden!? What d-do we do!? He's gone and-"

He stepped forward, shushing her, "I-I know...I know, just-" he placed a hand on her shoulder, using the other to stroke her cheek, "-Relax, okay? I'll find him, I promise! I-I've done it before, remember?" he tried to crack a smile, but it did nothing to ease their nerves.

"I promise. I'll find him and bring him back safely. Okay?"

Phoebe looked into his eyes, finding it within herself to believe the man wholeheartedly.

"Okay."

Kaden kissed her cheek quickly, running into their room to get on his coat.

Yeah...yeah, he's done this before with Ratchet. They had a whole fight a-and Kaden had to run and find the boy to apologize and mend their relationship. The only difference now was that he didn't have a fight with Clank and the boy just up and left without a word.

Why...why did Clank do this? Did he not trust them? Was he afraid?

...

He knows that they haven't known each other for a long time, but he needed to get the boy to fully trust him with things. That way, when Clank has a problem, he feels safe coming to Kaden for things.

...

He couldn't let this be like Ratchet's situation. He couldn't. Ratchet left at night without their knowledge and got himself caught up in something he shouldn't have. All because he didn't trust Kaden. That had to be it. That had to be why Ratchet did what he did. It had to be. There was no other explanation.

But he remembers being nothing but welcoming, right? He greeted Ratchet with open arms and spent time with the boy. Was that not enough to make Ratchet feel comfortable with coming to him for things?

Was Kaden himself not enough?

He ran back down the stairs, slipping his coat on and grabbing his holo-phone after coming into the kitchen. He turned it on,

He had to be quick.

He went to the door then, slipping on his shoes as his thoughts continued to race,

Was Clank okay? Was he hurt? Did The Council find him!?

He tied them up tightly, standing to go and make his way out the door-

"Kaden?"

He paused, turning around at the sound of Phoebe's voice. They made eye contact,

"Be safe."

Kaden gripped the door handle tighter, trying to reassure her with a smile, "I will." he finally opened the door, the chill of the rain already making him shiver-

"I promise."

⊱ ────── {⋅. ✯ .⋅} ────── ⊰

[Kaden]

He couldn't find Clank.

It had been about an hour at this point and he didn't know what else to do. People looked at him like he was crazy when he asked them if they saw the boy. He was at his wit's end, and at this rate, it will already be dark by the time he manages to find Clank.

If he does...

He made his way to a store just off the street, standing under the overhang as he pulled out his phone. He navigated over to Mags' number, pressing down on the icon and holding it up to his ear. His tail wrapped around his leg as he hunched over a little bit, pulling his arms close to try and stay warm in this weather.

*Ring~*Ring-*

"Hello?"

Kaden sighed in relief, "Mags! Listen, have you seen Clank today? Like, at all?"

The man on the other side of the line grumbled, "No, I haven't." a slight pause, "Is everything okay?"

"Uhm..." Kaden moved his gaze from the ground to the street, watching some people pass by, "No...Clank kind of...he kind of ran away."

"Ran away!?" Mags was alarmed, "Why didn't you fucking tell me sooner, you ass! I would've been looking for him since he ran away!"

"Phoebe and I realized a little more than an hour ago." Kaden explained, breath turning into fog as he breathed out, "W-We don't know when he exactly left..."

"Fuck..." Mags cursed. Kaden heard some shuffling on the other end, "Let me get ready, I'll help look around for him."

"M-Mags, you don't have to. I-"

"Shut up. I'm going to help." Kaden looked back down at the ground, "Thanks Mags. I owe you."

"Pfft. No, you don't. If anything, Clank owes us after pulling a stunt like this. You think he'd let me download some files onto his-"

Kaden pinched the bridge of his nose, "Not now Mags. Let's just find him, okay?"

"Got it! I'll let you know if I see him!"

They bid each other goodbye, Kaden pulling back his phone with a slight smile.

Now...who else could he check in with...

Oh!

He tapped his phone screen again and held his phone up to his ear again. He heard it ring for a few seconds until-

"Mr. Callisto? What's up?"

"Oliver, I need you to listen." Kaden started, "Have you seen Clank today?"

He was met with silence, the only sound coming from the other end of the line was a faint Tap...Tap...Tap..

Until Oliver finally spoke up, "I-I did."

Kaden froze in place, a small gasp leaving his throat as he tried to gather his thoughts, "What!? You did!?" he asked, "When!?"

"He left almost an hour ago...I-I am the one that made him leave so we could watch the speech together. Also so...he could help me with something and I promised him that I would text you and Phoebe but I forgot!" Kaden listened intently as the boy rambled on, "I-I wanted to see if he could connect to the network and try to access other networks off-planet but he wasn't able to, and-" the boy took a deep breath, "My brother is out there too. I-I just want to make sure he's okay so I got Clank to try...I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, kid." Kaden muttered, "I understand, okay? But Clank never came home."

"W-What? But he left! He should have been back already!"

Kaden bit the inside of his cheek, thinking about all the possibilities, "You said you two went to the speech? Did anyone approach you two?"

"No."

"Did anybody follow you?"

"...Not that I know of."

Kaden clutched his holo-phone tighter, fingers shaking against the casing, "Alright. I'm gonna keep looking for him. You stay-"

"I'm gonna go out and look for him too! Just-"

"No. You stay home, Oliver. We got it taken care of. "He tried his best to sound reassuring, but he thinks that the boy could sense his uneasiness anyways.

"O-Okay...just let me know if you find him!"

"I will."

Kaden bid him farewell and turned his phone off, looking up at the darkening sky, "Damnit." he cursed, stuffing his hands in his coat pockets and walking back out into the rain.

So...Clank didn't leave by himself, but him attending the speech with Oliver could have alerted The Council...

No...not again. Kaden chanted to himself

Please not again...

⊱ ────── {⋅. ✯ .⋅} ────── ⊰

[Clank]

After playing 4 rounds of Oliver's favorite game, Clank decided to head back.

It has been about 20 minutes since he left, and rain pelted against him, soaking his jacket and making it hard for his thermoregulation systems to keep up against the chilly air. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and took a deep breath, shivering.

He started to realize how much he started to act like a living being, he still couldn't believe it...It kind of sucked. He was freezing, shaky, and still upset from the news.

He has kept his composure up to this point, but he could start to feel it slip...

He flinched when a cold drop of rain hit his nose, which made him quicken his pace. If he mapped out the way home correctly, he would arrive within 30 minutes. Hopefully, Kaden and Phoebe wouldn't be too mad. Oliver said he would text them at least...

He faltered a bit when he heard a sound that seemed like it was out of place-

*Tap...*

His head whipped to the right, coming face to face with a dirty, desolate alleyway. Two trash cans lay against the side of one of the buildings. Rainwater created deep puddles of murky water that had a few leaves floating upon the-

*Thud*

Clank scanned the environment, stepping back as he looked around himself. Buildings...almost empty streets...rain...not a thing out of sight.

Now...a normal person would continue on with their day, but not Clank. Because he saw something that shook him to his core.

A person just standing....watching in the distance, looking right in his direction. And by looking at his scans, they were stopped in place like he was...

He logged their biological information anyways. Blood type, height, everything he could to keep tabs on them.

"Okay...maybe I'm just overthinking it..." He muttered to himself, shaking his shoulders as he turned around, continuing on his way home. "Yeah...definitely just overthinking it. No one figured it out yet...I'm sure of it..." his voice became quieter with every word that exited his mouth. He almost slipped into a puddle as he turned a corner a bit too fast.

He blinked as he scanned again...

...

Yeah...they were definitely following...

He forced himself to act like nothing was amiss, only quickening his pace by a little bit. He huffed, systems starting to go into hyperdrive as he became more stressed.

Was this someone from The Council? Or just someone trying to jump him? Were they-

He bumped into someone, "Hey! Watch where you're going, kid!" and they pushed past him. He looked around, a bit disoriented now as his focus was interrupted. He had to get away.

He went to perform another scan-

[ERR0R! F0REIGN 0BJECT F0UND!]

*SEEK ASSISTANCE*

He held his neck as he twitched, sight blurry until the message faded from his view. He looked around, a bit stunned.

He performed another scan anyway, ignoring what just occurred-

They were closer...

Without thinking, he took the next turn he could and bolted down the sidewalk.

So much for acting calm...

The rain pelted against his face as he ran, taking every turn he could to shake off whoever was following him. He couldn't let them get him no matter what, and he could let them see who he was either. That could put him, and everyone else in danger.

Scanning...

Clank made a good distance between them, but was still a bit too close for comfort...

He slowed down, panting as he tried to catch his breath. This cold air was making it a bit hard for his systems to keep up...

His vision was blurred by another error message...it looks like the rain was making it worse too...

He performed another scan, only to be taken aback by what he saw...

They were still after him!? Closer too!?

He surged forward, ready to go and find a place to hide, but a strong gust of wind caused his hood to fly back. He tried to catch it on instinct, but once he tried reaching back so quickly, he ended up slipping and falling to the ground, right into a muddy puddle... Curse his stupid, newfound clumsiness!

He clambered his way back to his feet, immediately sprinting to the nearest building he could find. But when he turned the corner-

*Thud!* he ran right into someone's chest, stumbling back at the force. He shook his head, stunned once more.

"Whoa!" A voice that Clank was happy to hear, "Clank!"

Kaden!

Before Clank could even begin to speak, Kaden launched forward and enveloped him in a big, warm hug. He started to raise his arms to hug back, but the man already pulled back. Instead, Kaden placed his hands on his upper arms, just below his shoulders, while looking into Clank's eyes, a serious (and worried) expression on his face, "Clank? Are you okay!?" he looked the boy up and down, "Are you hurt anywhere?"

Clank shook his head, surprised by the man's words, "N-No..."

Kaden looked relieved, but only for a few seconds. He took in the state of the boy's hoodie, as well as the tired and drawn look on Clank's face. He then looked up to the sky, "Is the rain affecting you!?" he looked panicked, "We need to get you back home then!"

Clank let out a small yelp as the man started dragging him along, "I-I assure you. This rain is not harming me."

Kaden looked unconvinced, "Kid, I know close to nothing about your systems and how your body works, but considering that you are made of delicate wiring and intricate mechanisms..." he turned his head around to look at Clank, who was now keeping pace beside him, "Being exposed for a prolonged period of time has to wear something down, right?"

Clank hummed in thought...

He never thought of that...

"I see..." he looked towards Kaden, "Kaden, I have to tell you something."

"Tell me when we get back home, okay?" he squeezed Clank's arm, "I've been looking for you for over an hour now. I just want to get you home."

Clank nodded, picking up his pace along with Kaden. He conducted one more scan to

Home...

⊱ ────── {⋅. ✯ .⋅} ────── ⊰

"Oh! Thank the stars! You're back safe!"

Phoebe came forward almost immediately once they entered the house, with two towels that she had just taken out of the dryer. She handed one to Kaden, who was still in the middle of taking his wet shoes and coat off.

She then took the other one to start drying Clank's face off, starting with his head fur and ears, "Oh, you are just soaked! And covered in dirt! Did you fall?"

Dirt? She must be right... it had to be from his stupid fall into that puddle...

"A...small one." he said hesitantly, "There is no need to worry." he sighed as she pulled back. He unzipped his coat then, sighing as the warmth of the house hit him, calming down his systems. Kaden took the coat from him and hung it up on the coat rack.

"C'mon!" Clank stumbled as Phoebe pulled him forward-

Clank almost rolled his eyes. What was it with all these people dragging him around today!?

The woman made him sit on the couch, throwing the towel around his shoulders, "You wait right there while I get you something to drink!" Clank watched as the woman walked away quickly, not noticing Kaden staring right at him.

"Clank," he called to get the boy's attention, and once those light-green eyes landed on him,

"We need to talk."

⊱ ────── {⋅. ✯ .⋅} ────── ⊰

He sat quietly on the couch.

Kaden and Phoebe brought over the kitchen chairs to sit across from him, deciding to face him head-on instead of sitting next to him. (They also wanted him to be comfortable on the couch and not be overwhelmed on top of that).

Kaden and Phoebe looked toward one another, wondering who should speak up first.

Phoebe could sense her husband's reluctance. This was probably due to what happened with Ratchet that time he ran away...

So she decided to speak first. Hopefully, she could ease both Clank and Kaden's nerves a bit...

"Clank..." she started. The boy looked at her, "How...how are you feeling, sweetie?"

Clank looked surprised, "F-Fine."

But the two adults could see that he was anything but fine. Perhaps it was their instincts that told them so, or the unusual look in Clank's eyes...

The boy looked between the both of them, feeling a bit apprehensive. He didn't know what to expect from these adults right now, but it certainly wasn't this. He thought that they would be angry or something else along those lines. Not...Not like this...

"Y-You two aren't mad?" he asked, voice barely above a whisper as his ears lowered against his head. He laced his fingers together between his knees, looking quite troubled. Kaden crossed his arms, shaking his head, "Why would we be mad?" he asked, "Sure, it would have been nice to give us a little bit of a heads up, but we're not mad, Clank." he looked toward Phoebe, who nodded, "You just scared us a bit."

"I...I apologize. I never meant to cause distress."

"Don't apologize! It's fine! We're just glad you're back safe and sound." Phoebe smiled warmly. Clank lifted his head up a bit more, "I am...confused. I left without permission and made you both worried for me. It even got to the point where you had to look for me."

"Oliver forgot to tell us you were with him." Kaden added, "It was an accident, Clank. It's okay."

"But..." Clank trailed off, unsure about what he should say, "W-why are we speaking then? If you two aren't angry and I am okay...what more did you want to tell me?"

Kaden and Phoebe looked towards each other once more, "Clank, we just wanted to talk." Phoebe said, "After what happened this morning and seeing what Ratchet has gotten himself into, you must be upset!" Kaden spoke up then, "Yeah, it's not good just to leave things bottled up like that, kid."

Clank pouted at that (a quite childish thing to do at the moment) "I already said that I am okay." he sat up a bit more, trying to look confident in the face of being confronted about his feelings.

Kaden shook his head again, uncrossing his arms as he leaned forward in his seat, looking right into Clank's eyes. "Clank, you're a robot. I understand that. But I know for certain that you have feelings like humans do." Clank averted his gaze elsewhere, "Kiddo, talk to us."

Clank gave no response, and Kaden could do nothing but frown at that.

Either Clank was uncomfortable about sharing his thoughts or feelings or he just didn't trust them enough yet. But Clank does seem to be teetering on the edge of being "relatively okay" to "everything is wrong and I need help" kind of way.

"Look, I know we haven't known each other for long, but I want you to know something." Clank looked back up at him apprehensively,

"We'll always be here to talk. I know that you may be uncomfortable or hesitant but...Clank, I promise you that we will always be here for you." Kaden smiled, "One day I hope that you will be able to trust us with things, and I hope that you know that you can come to us for anything at all. If you need help, some repairs, or even just someone to talk to...we are here."

Clank reeled back a bit, his breath stuttering a bit as that words sank in.

"We are here" He felt his chest become heavy, "We are here" the words continued to echo in his head...

He doesn't know why those words affected him so much, but he didn't have much time to think about it...

[Warning. . . Emotional Regulation Systems - Unstable]

He took in the words that took up some of his vision, reading them over and over.

He didn't know what was happening, but the pressure behind his optics came back.

His right hand started to twitch, so he went to rub it with his left to try and soothe himself. He took a deep breath in...

"We are here"..."We are here"...these two people were willing to listen to him...

Suddenly...it was like something burst from within him, and this overwhelming feeling made his body slouch back down, tail lying still on the couch as it felt like the walls were caving in on him. Everything was too much and too overwhelming that he found himself speaking before he could stop the words...

"I-I just don't get it." He sputtered out, Kaden and Phoebe listened intently. Clank, was looking down at his hands now, "I..T-This whole time I have been able to get through things and be done with it b-but..." the tears fell onto his shaky hands,

"I-I just do understand h-how...no, why am I acting like this now?" the question was directed mostly towards himself as his breath hitched. His body felt like it was overheating and his hands started to shake even more. His ears lowered, "I...I am afraid that I have made myself too human." he confessed, "I...I didn't know I created such a thing like this...I didn't know I had the capability of creating such a complex system that resembles a human's so much that...that I just-"

Kaden frowned, stepping forward slowly, "That...That's because you haven't had time to sit down and think about your situation, right?"

Clank looked up at him in confusion, a stray tear dripping down from his chin to his hands, "W-What do you mean?"

"Well, what have you done since you came to this dimension?" Kaden asked again. Clank said nothing, contemplating his answer.

It was Phoebe who spoke up, placing her hand on Kaden's shoulder as she stared at the distraught boy on the couch, "You've been fighting, right? Surviving? Clank, you just couldn't catch a real break, am I right?" She asked, "And now that you're here, safe with us, you have the time to relax and think."

"B-But Ratchet-"

"We'll get him back." Kaden piped up, "I promise. You, however, are a different story..." Clank raised a brow, sniffling "What...?"

Kaden smiled, "I can only imagine what you've been through, kiddo, but you need to take the time and care for yourself, okay?" Clank averted his gaze to the floor, "It's alright to feel things. It's alright to be human, Clank. And it's alright to be upset. If anything, you deserve to feel these things." Clank's ears lowered again, seemingly on the verge of tears because of the comforting words...

"You're scared, Kiddo. That's okay. You're experiencing new emotions and your best friend is still out of reach. It will take time to get used to these things."

Phoebe piped up then, a warm smile on her face, "Yeah! And Kaden and I will be along with you every step of the way!"

Kaden agreed, "We promise."

Clank looked up at them in surprise, not expecting such overwhelming support from the two adults. He expected them to scold him for going behind their backs and leaving.

He didn't expect these people to be so loving and caring. He didn't expect them to welcome him with such open and kind arms...

But, then again, Ratchet was always full of surprises. It seemed like these two were no different...

He was snapped out of his thoughts when he felt something warm brush along his cheeks. He realized that Phoebe used her thumbs to wipe away his remaining tears, an infectious smile on her face, "Feel a bit better?" she pulled back, placing her hands on her hips, "I know just the thing! Why don't we all eat something and watch a movie?"

Clank raised a brow, about to speak but...Kaden beat him to it,

"Ice cream!"

"That's later!" Phoebe said, "For now, let me go get some popcorn ready!" she ruffled Clank's head fur before she left to go to the kitchen. Clank was still too stunned to speak, but he stood up on his shaky legs-

Only to be stopped when Kaden came forward to hug him. The man's strong arms came around him, comforting him as he let himself relax into the man's tight embrace.

"I'm sorry everything is so sudden for you, kid." Kaden whispered to him, voice soothing, "And I'm sorry if all of this is making you a bit uncomfortable but...I need you to know that we are always here to talk to. Before you go running away just...just let us know, alright?" Clank nodded, placing his head on the man's uninjured shoulder as he lifted his arms to hug the man back, "Because if The Council ever finds out about you, you will be in some serious trouble and...and I can't let something like that happen again."

He then pulled back, eyes serious as he gazed into Clank's light-green eyes, "So if you ever see anything, or just feel unsafe. Tell us. Tell me."

Clank faintly reminded himself about the person that was following him today but all he could focus on was the man in front of him, comforting him. He didn't want to make Kaden more upset. (And he was emotionally exhausted as well).

"O-Okay..."

Kaden looked at him fondly, "Promise me, Clank."

The robot looked at him, as if calculating his next words carefully. Kaden himself knew that his words held some heavy weight.

But...he was happy to feel like Clank was already placing some trust in them. In Kaden. He was reassured by the fact that Clank would now come when he needed help.

Because he couldn't let the same thing that happened with Ratchet happen with Clank.

And he realized that the boys were two different people, but that doesn't take away from the fact that Clank was under their care now. He was Ratchet's best friend, and if Kaden had a say in it, that would mean that Clank is already (somewhat) family.

Kaden knew he wasn't obligated to feel this way, but it was instinctual at this point...

Because if he lets the same thing happen again...he could never forgive himself.

So he reminded himself of his objectives,

Work towards finding his son. Protect Clank and everyone else in the process. Stop The Council from committing more heinous acts.

He couldn't fail anymore.

"I promise, Kaden."

⊱ ────── {⋅. ✯ .⋅} ────── ⊰

[Clank]

[2 Days Later. . .]

"I finished it!"

Mags and Kaden looked up from their work, looking at Clank in surprise. "Already?" Kaden asked skeptically, "That didn't take much time at all." He muttered. Mags looked at his friend, "Duh! He's a walking computer, Kade! I bet that he could figure anything out in a day!"

"You give me too much credit." Clank smiled, holding up what he created...

A sleek, black USB device. A small blinking green light in the center...it looked simple, but was way more complex than it looked. Clank created it, after all.

"This will be compatible with my systems and...possibly target the right information that we need to access." He handed it to Kaden, who started to examine the small creation. He hummed in thought, "Are you sure this is okay?"

"I am positive that it is."

"Is it safe for you?"

"I...am sure it won't harm me in the slightest."

"Well what if this will harm your systems?" Kaden asked, handing it to Mags (his eyes lighting up as he cupped the device in his hands)

"I assure you, I will be okay."

"Well, what if something happens? I won't be able to fix anything unless you give me a blueprint of yourself. This way I know how to fix you if anything goes wrong and-"

"Kaden." Mags spoke up, handing the device back to Clank, "Relax. I would trust him if I were you. He's a freaking robot! I'm sure he knows if something could go wrong. Have some faith in him!"

"I'm not doubting him at all! I'm just being cautious."

Clank rolled his eyes at that, pocketing the USB. "All that we have to do now is give it to Phoebe."

Mags' ears perked up at that, "She already knows!?"

Kaden nodded, looking a bit hesitant, "Yeah." he said, "And she was a bit too enthusiastic to do this for us." he looked over to Clank, who already stood up and was in the process of putting on his hoodie, "She is working tonight. Might as well give it to her if she is ready."

"I'm sure she is." Clank put his hood up, "She has been talking about it ever since we told her."

Kaden just sighed, shaking his head, "Yeah...I know." he looked towards Mags, who seemed to be shooing him away. Mags grinned, "I guess I'll see you two tomorrow then so we can go through that information." he looked towards Clank, grinning excitedly, "Ohhh...I can't wait to see a robot in action! Will you let me look at your systems after we-"

"No." Kaden and Clank said at the same time. Mags leaned back, seemingly disappointed,

"Well...it was worth a shot..."

⊱ ────── {⋅. ✯ .⋅} ────── ⊰

[Phoebe]

She held up the vial in front of her face, smiling behind her face mask, eyes alight with mischief.

This is gonna be so good! She thought to herself, Finally back in action after waiting for her time to shine again. She was going to show everyone that she could do this!

She swished the blue mixture around inside the vial. All she had to do was come up with a fake name and write down what "useful" this it does or what it could possibly do if it was tested more. If a thing like this were approved by The Council, it will possibly be used as a form of treatment...

Well, that wasn't her goal at all. At best, this thing will make things explode, given the right environment.

Good thing she wasn't going to test it...just put it in the system under "In testing process - potential medicinal capabilities"

Eh...she knows that she will dispose of it later.

She smirked, going over to place the vial in the case, creating a fake label. One of her co-workers in the lab bumped into her back.

She hoped they weren't staring...

She hummed as she took her keys to the lab and placed them in her lab coat, walking out the room as quickly as she could.

She couldn't wait to take Clank's device out of her pocket and use it. Eager to see what The Council was hiding from them...

She wanted to see the plans that they had for her son if he were to stay in captivity...

She wanted to see all the victims they had under their thumb...

She smirked, pushing her goggles up to her forehead so she could see a bit better. Her head tilted upwards in determination as she arrived at the fateful, metal door...

This is where they store important files and data...

Hopefully, it was late enough that the computer wasn't being watched so she could access the database. But deep down she knew that impossible. Someone always watched over her...

She scanned her keycard that was clipped to her coat, taking a deep breath as the door opened.

Looked pretty vacant...so far.

She looked around, walking quickly down the corridor and arriving at a spacious room. A few work desks and lab tables were against the wall. A bulletin board had papers pinned on top of other papers about all the different medicines and treatments that people needed to start working on.

She paid it no mind as she walked right to the far end of the room, the secured computer right in front of her. She was about to scan her hand on the holo-pad next to it before-

"Phoebe? What are you doing here at this hour?"

She whipped her head to the side "May?"

May Abletress. One of her co-workers has been off-kilter lately. It wasn't a secret by now...

Her son, Arthur, was known to work on the cargo ships. Apparently, the one he was on was MIA, and since then she has been working herself into the ground. Her golden eyes were tired and looked quite bleak. Her voice was nothing but a horse whisper.

"Hello, Phoebe." she greeted, "I'm not used to seeing you around this late."

"A-Ah...well they gave me a new schedule." Phoebe answered, "What are you doing at this hour? You should go home and rest, May. You're looking a bit pale..."

"I haven't been able to sleep much."

"But shouldn't they be giving you time off?"

"The Council requested me with some projects. Also...I-I need the distraction." she looked towards the computer, "It's pretty late for you to log one of your projects into the database..."

Phoebe smiled, "Oh! I was just so excited about this one that I had to do it. I'm off tomorrow, after all."

May nodded, "Well, I am one of the few watching the database today. You know how The Council is with those things..." she looked around the room. Phoebe tilted her head in confusion, "Everyone else is slacking while I'm here working." she grumbled, "But...I'll let you be. Just be quick before they come back and complain."

Phoebe nodded, watching as the woman walked away, back turned to her. He placed the case containing the vial on the desk next to the computer. She scanned her hand, entered her credentials, and accessed the database she needed to enter her fake creation...

She created a simple name, the date...time...other stupid shit she had to enter, but before she submitted her file...

Then she pulled out Clank's USB.

She quickly looked around the computer, finding the access port and shoving it in...

It was too late by the time she thought about if there was an alarm on this computer or not...She tightened her hands on the edge of the desk as she shielded the screen from view...

She read the screen-

[Attention - Unknown Device Inserted]

Please remove. . .

She grimaced, feeling sweat run down her neck.

[Please remove. . .]

The USB started to blink rapidly, before settling on a solid green. Phoebe watched as words raced across the screen...

Processing. . .

{Overriding System Security}

. . .

{Accessing {{DataBase}} Confidential}

. . .

-Downloading Contents to Device C-XJ0461-

. . .

██ 20%

███ 49%

█████ 80%

‎███████████████████100%

. . .

{{Complete! Remove Device}}

Phoebe took out the USB and submitted her fake information, kissing the USB in relief.

Yes! I did it!

She pocketed the USB and picked up her case, shutting the computer down and walking away with a smirk on her face...

Feeling proud of herself...

...and satisfied. 

She couldn't wait to see everything The Council had so she could find more reasons to kick their ass.

⊱ ────── {⋅. ✯ .⋅} ────── ⊰

[Kaden]

[The Next Day]

He was still nervous.

He couldn't pinpoint what he was exactly feeling, but it was anything but enthusiastic. It was funny, he thought he would be the one that was most eager of all, but no...he didn't feel that way at all. The USB in his hand felt like a 5-pound weight and he had the urge to brush it in his palm.

He felt like something was about to happen, and knowing his intuition...he could be right.

But with the way Clank, Phoebe, and Mags were looking at him...he caved-

"Are you really ready for this?" he asked Clank, who sat on a chair next to Kaden's lab table. He looked excited. Not an ounce of doubt or anxiousness within him.

He looked to be overly confident, Kaden noted...

"Yes, I am." Clank said. He looked over to Mags, who was standing just beside Kaden, "Hand me a notebook?" the man nodded and went to fetch the first one he saw. Phoebe stood behind Clank's right shoulder and laid a gentle hand upon it.

Kaden gripped the device even tighter...

Mags came back and placed it on the desk (along with a pen) next to Clank. With the chair turned sideways, Clank was able to lay his left arm on the table, ready to write anything he needed to during, or after, the whole procedure. His right hand was just laying on his lap.

Calm and collected...

Kaden stepped forward, holding the device up to Clank's eye level, "Okay then...where do I put it?"

Clank took his free hand and brushed it against the right side of his neck, perma-guise fading as he revealed the USB port. Mags looked over Kaden's shoulder, gasping in awe at what he saw.

*Click*

Clank waited until his systems would start reading and downloading the device. The adults in the room waited patiently.

His neck twitched as information flashed in his vision...

[Attention: {{Device C-XJ0461}} Inserted. Download?]

[Yes] ←

[Affirmative. Please Wait. . .]

Everyone watched him in anticipation...

. . .

Clank stiffened, shoulders going rigid as his vision flickered,

[Warning: {{F0REIGN 0BJECT}} attempting connection with {{Device C-XJ0461}}

[Authorize?]

[No] ←

. . .

W-what was happening!? Why was he-

"Clank? Are you okay, sweetie?" Phoebe asked, watching him with concern. Mags watched on as Kaden stared at him with mixed emotions.

N-No...something is happening! He wanted to say, but his systems were being taken over and stopping one by one...

[Authorize?]

[No] ←

. . .

[A̷u̴t̵h̴o̴r̶i̴z̶e̵?̶]

[NO] ←

. . .

{{WARNING: AIR FILTRATION SYSTEMS DOWN}}

{{EMOTIONAL PROCESSING SYSTEMS DOWN}}

-SYSTEM UNSTABLE- PREPARING EMERGENCY PROTOCOLS-

. . .

Clank gasped as the air left him. He clutched the pen so hard that he crushed it to pieces in his hand. The blue ink splatters onto the paper and desk, running down his hand and staining his light silver fur.

He started to fall forward-

Kaden caught him before he could even fall off the chair entirely. "Clank!? Clank, what's going on!?" he shook Clank's shoulders, "Tell me! Tell me, now!"

But Clank couldn't speak...

His vision flickered-

-and so did his optics.

Kaden immediately pushed him back in the chair, running over to get his box of tools (if he'd need them). Mags and Phoebe watched on, stunned.

"I knew it. I had a fucking feeling!" He dropped it on the ground next to Clank, who was slumped in the chair, head tilted all the way to the side as his optics faded...he appeared lifeless. Ears down, head hung, hands hanging by his sides...

{{WARNING: ENTERING STASIS. . .}}

Clank watched as his vision dimmed, until the adults in front of him were nothing but shadows in his greying vision...

Phoebe came around the chair to join Kaden in front of Clank, lifting his head up with her hand. "Clank!? Stay awake!" She said desperately. She strokes his cheek, watching Clank's optics shut off completely.

<Emergency Stasis Protocol Complete>

<See you soon!>

His body slumped forwards again, right into Phoebe's arms. Mags went forward to steady the woman and Clank's weight stumbled her. Kaden growled under his breath,

"That's it! I'm taking it out!" Kaden was about to grasp the USB, but Mags' hand shot up to grasp Kaden's wrist, stopping him.

"No! You could damage his systems!" He said, "He'd have to eject it himself!"

"Look at him, Mags!" Kaden pulled his wrist out of Mags' grasp. Phoebe watched with teary eyes as she tried to shake Clank awake. "I'm not leaving him like this!"

He grabbed at the device, going to yank it out of Clank's neck,

*Tug*

...

It was stuck and locked in place.

Kaden gasped, pulling his hand back slowly and staring at the USB. Phoebe and Mags looked stunned in place. Phoebe wiped at her cheeks, her quivering arms locked around Clank as they all were frozen in place. They didn't know what to do...

Kaden felt his heart clench. He knew it...he knew it! He had a feeling something bad was going to happen so...why didn't he stop it? Why didn't he!? If he did, then this would have never happened! They could have found another way to get information!

He could have stopped this!

And as he looked down at Clank's lifeless form...he couldn't help but feel like this was all his fault.

⊱ ────── {⋅. ✯ .⋅} ────── ⊰

Whew... that was a big chapter...I'm happy with it! 

So... a lot of stuff happened here, and Clank seems to be having a *bit* of a problem at the end...what do you think will happen?

Anyways, I don't have much to say here. I hoped you all liked the chapter! I will try to get the next one out a bit sooner, but no guarantees. This one wasn't supposed to surpass 6,000 words, but here we are...over 12000...wow! 

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