Surprise! Early Chapter!

 Enjoy!

⊱ ────── {⋅. ✯ .⋅} ────── ⊰

[Clank]

[1 Hour earlier]

He needed to be fast...

"Why...did I make it so heavy!?" he growled under his breath, turning to slide the cargo off his back that was covered with a thin sheet. He pulled the sheet back a bit, analyzing his work, "Good enough."

He peeked his head around the corner, looking around, "I don't see anyone..." he whispered to no one in particular, "I don't think he's here yet....that's good..." he dropped a bag off his shoulder and looked back at the sheet,

Time to go...

He lifted his cargo up again, scanning for any cameras and disabling them at a moment's notice.

Just long enough for him to slip on by...

He opened the doors to The Council's Headquarters and slid inside. The chilly air made his air filters shudder for only a second as he got used to it. But besides the biting cold...there was this unnerving silence.

Shouldn't there be guards? More cameras? Trip-wire systems?

This...was all too easy...

But then he reminded himself that Arc was coming and that this was most likely a trap for the man...Either way, Clank had to get a move on and not get caught....

He walked down the first hall he could, passing the elevators entirely as he went straight to the stairs. It would be longer, but Arc using the stairs is not so likely and the chances of someone waiting for him by the stairs were slim.

But the question was...up or down?

...

He quickly accessed his downloaded files, systems coming up with a fragmented map that was (hopefully) up to date.

Which meant...he was going down.

*Step*Step*Step* he descended quickly, feet barely making a sound. The cargo on his back bounced as his pace increased, swinging around to descend flight after flight after flight.

Floor 40....39...38...

Clank panted, almost toppling down as he skipped a step or two in his rush to get down...

15...14...13...

"Almost there..." he whispered to himself, "Almost there."

7...6...5...

He turned...

4...3...2...1 and-

...

Where was the door!?

His cargo fell off his back as he looked around frantically at the dead end. All that was down here were a few rotting boxes, an old weapons crate, and some weird...metal bench? There was also a metal cabinet-

Wait....

He scanned the room quickly, locating the hidden entrance right behind the cabinet...

He smirked, that was easy...

He placed his hands on the side and pushed the heavy cabinet as far as he could...

Move...Move!

It moved slowly, making a faint *screech* along the dirty, concrete ground. He pulled back once there was a big enough gap for him to go through with his cargo....

He picked it back up and dragged it through the opening, looking around for any signs of enemies or cameras but...there was a distinct lack of them. But...even if there was no one in his face, there was an odd feeling of dread that settled upon him once he looked around...

Black walls...Black floors...cold-

"General!"

He immediately got down behind a nearby crate when he heard the voice. Footsteps followed not soon after and he found himself holding his breath as he held his cargo close to his chest...

"General! My message went through, correct?"

"Affirmative, sir."

"Then where is he!?"

"I am...not sure."

...

"Great." the condescending voice groaned, "Let us go and watch the cameras, shall we? You are to give him a very nice greeting."

"But...what about the boy?"

"I will check on him soon enough! Now follow me!"

Clank turned to look around the corner, watching as the tip of a tail vanished down another hallway. He looked to the left, and then to the right, wondering if he should go...

He needs to...now!

He went down the hall opposite of where the other Lombax went, checking his partially done map...

Not there...Not there...it should be...

Here!

He turned to open a door, heading inside the dimly lit...cell block...if you could even call it that...

It was only one room with one dirty cell in it, and inside that cell...

Was his objective.

He quickly dropped his cargo to the ground and went towards the lock. It was a standard one, but there was also a holo-pad to disable the faint holo-shield that was currently activated.

Easy...for someone like him.

He took out a handmade lockpick he created in Kaden's lab only a few hours prior. Gripping it tightly, he inserted it in the hold and-

"What...the hell...?"

He looked up to see the imprisoned boy staring straight at him. His eyes were dry and puffy. His fur was dull and his whole body shook with violent tremors...

"Who...are you?"

Clank opened the lock and quickly placed his hand on the holo-pad, "My name is Clank." he replied, "I am getting you out of here."

The other boy paused, reeling back, "Wait....you're...Clank!? Ratchet-"

"There is no time!" Clank deactivated the shield, quickly walking over to his cargo that lay on the ground. "I hope this isn't too weird for you..."

Hunter turned his head weakly, watching as Clank pulled the sheet off...

Himself!?

"That's...scary...how the fuck did you-"

Clank held up a hand to silence him, "Not now!" he snapped, "Are you able to walk?"

"No..."

"Then back up!"

Hunter complied, scooting over as Clank dragged the...doll inside. Its eyes were half open and it did look quite-

"You made me look dead...won't that be-"

"Cyfrin was planning on executing you tonight." Clank said simply. "Now...I am saving you so get up!!" he bent down to wrap Hunter's arm around his shoulder, helping him stand. "We must be quick."

"O-Okay!" Hunter rasped, staggering forward as Clank dragged him out. He only stopped to reactivate the shield and click the lock back on.

Like nothing ever happened...

"Your father will be coming. We must leave before-"

*Step...*Step...*

Clank pulled him back and pushed him into a dark corner of the room, pulling over a stray box of...rations?

"Spoiled r-rations..." Hunter mumbled, "W-what Cyfrin would give me."

Clank shuddered while bundling up the sheet and putting it behind them, "We have to hide behind it." He put the sheet down and gently pushed Hunter down to lay on it. He put his pointer finger in front of his mouth to stay quiet, "Cyfrin is coming." he whispered just before the door opened.

Hunter shut his eyes...

The sound of the door...the boots on the floor...the scent of a man he grew to fear.

He didn't realize that he was shaking until he felt cool, gloved hands enveloping his own. His eyes snapped open as he saw Clank staring right at him. For some reason, his eyes looked darker but...but there was also a hidden warmth in that that told Hunter he was safe.

He stopped shaking almost immediately, tightening his hold on Clank's hands hard enough to make him wince...

"Well...that's unfortunate." they heard Cyfrin chuckle, "I thought you would be stronger....I wonder what he'll think. He'll be furious...good."

There was a sinister chuckle followed by the sound of footsteps retreating. Hunter was about to get up but Clank held him down,

"Wait just a second." he blinked, and Hunter could swear that he saw his eyes flash. Clank looked a bit hesitant, but he pulled himself and Hunter up anyway, "We have to go, now."

Hunter grunted as he was pulled along, "C-Can't we go s-slower?"

"No." Clank said sternly, "I apologize, but your safety is my priority. I can put you on my back?"

"Definitely not." Hunter gave a small laugh, "J-Just...try not to jostle me too much..."

"I am afraid I cannot promise you that."

And he was right. After they got out the door, Clank started to make a beeline towards the exit. Hunter let out an involuntary whine, "T-The elevator!? B-But-"

"They are not there right now but both Cyfrin and the General are heading this way! We must get there before them and your father sees us!"

"M-My Dad? He-"

"Doesn't know I'm doing this. Your death must be convincing." Clank explained, "I will apologize to him later. For now....please bare with-oh! Are you alright?"

Hunter collapsed to the floor, "M-My knees just..." he looked up at Clank, "I've been sitting and laying f-for so long t-that I-"

"I understand." Clank looked around, blinking once more...eyes flickering-

"Forgive me for what I am about to do."

Hunter huffed, "O-Oh? What's-" *Swoop!* Whoa! Wait! Just-"

Clank picked him up in a quick (and embarrassing!) bridal carry. Hunter was forced to hook his arm tightly around the back of Clank's neck. He found himself letting out a growl,

"R-Really? You're."

"I mean this in the nicest way possible-" Clank started to run down the hall, "Shut up."

Hunter could do nothing but look away from him. Figures...he escapes this prison in the most humiliating way possible. He closed his eyes so he didn't have to look but...they suddenly stopped...

"What's going on!?"

Clank dropped him a bit, "I-I cannot access this terminal...H-How-"

Suddenly they heard footsteps echo down the hall. Hunter looked back at the terminal...

The numbers....the numbers....the number that gave him hope this whole time...

The numbers from Ratchet!

He reached up-

6 1 3 1 4 5

....

It opened...

Clank didn't even question it. Instead, he just pulled Hunter in and pressed the button to shut it...

Hunter breathed a sigh of relief, "O-oh my stars....I-I'm actually getting o-out of here! I thought I'd have to die!" he held his head, almost hysterical at this point, "I-I...I can't believe it!"

Clank stood quietly as he watched the numbers ascend. He kept blinking to make sure no cameras were on them and that they were heading in the right direction. He then performed a scan,

[Error!]

He clutched his head in pain...

"H-Hey...are you okay?" Hunter asked, "Y-You didn't get hurt saving m-me, did you?"

Clank looked at him, shaking his head, "No, I assure you that I did not. You don't have to worry about me."

Hunter shrugged, "Well...I have to worry about the person that saved me. I-I practically owe you my life!"

"You do not owe me anything."

Clank looked back to the numbers...

Floor 22...21...20...19

"I-I can't wait to see outside a-again." Hunter shivered, "Is it...d-daytime?"

"It is currently 1:58 AM." Clank said automatically. Hunter looked at him in astonishment, "W-What? How do you know-"

"-I'll explain later!" Clank charged forward and picked Hunter up again, much to his dismay, "We have to hide!"

Clank turned and went down the hall opposite of the way to the exit. He then turned a corner and set Hunter down again, "You're father..."

Hunter, curious, pushed Clank back a bit and crawled forward, peeking around the corner. And...

"Cyfrin!"

He heard his father call out, voice angry and filled with malice. His steps were loud and heavy, stomping against the floor as he smashed the elevator button in-

"I'm coming for you..." a threatening growl, "Just wait."

And oh...how Hunter wanted to run into his father's arms. Sure, his father wronged him but...he needed him. Ratchet made him feel safe, and now Clank did as well. But a parent's protective touch is what he needed.

He needed his father to look at him with a warm smile again and tell him everything was going to be okay. He wanted his father to hug him again and be there with him.

Clank probably sensed his desperation and laid a hand on his back, "I will bring you to him later. I promise." he said once his father entered the elevator, "You'll see him."

"You expect me to just leave him here? He could-"

"Your father is stronger than you think. Also...I believe that when he learns of your "death" there will be nothing stopping him."

Hunter nodded in understanding and left it at that.

He could wait a little longer...and...wait!

Clank picked him up again, "D-Do you know where Ratchet is?" he whispered, "Last time I saw h-him I-"

"I will tell you once we get out." Clank affirmed, "Brace yourself."

Hunter didn't have a chance to ask why he said that because when the doors opened...

It was so cold!

The air was crisp and clean and he greedily filled his lungs with it and...well, it was freezing! It felt as if he was dumped into an ice bath during the winter time...

"H-Holy shit..." his teeth chattered, 'W-What are you-"

Clank took him all the way to an alleyway that was located behind The Headquarters. From here you could see the back, steel doors, but nothing much. He set Hunter down gently and pulled over a bag on the ground that he left there before he even went in. He opened it, and took out a hoodie,

"This will have to do." he handed it to Hunter, who immediately pulled it over his thin frame. He watched Clank, surprised that he started pulling out some more items, "We're going to have to wait until your father leaves. I have mapped out every possible outcome and if my plan works...we'll be meeting at Kaden and Phoebe's house."

Hunter nodded, "Y-you...listed e-everything? H-How-"

Clank took off his glove then, showing Hunter his hand. The boy backed up a bit, startled. "What!? What...W-what are you!?"

"I am a robot." Clank said simply, putting the glove back on and lifting up a small water bottle, "Water?"

Hunter paused, looking at the bottle for a second...

Water...the glass of water...the poison! The poison is in the water!

"U-Uhm...got anything else?"

Clank said nothing but recorded his reaction anyways.

Trauma...that's not surprising...

"I have a juice box?"

Hunter nodded excitedly and took it after Clank popped the straw in, "Where did you get this stuff?"

"I have been staying with Kaden and Phoebe." Clank explained, "It was quite easy to pack some things and take them with me. My plan is too complicated to tell you right now but...I assure you that everything is figured out." Clank scooted over and sat closer to him, "You're free."

Hunter lowered the Apple Juice box and looked at Clank and then...

-at everything else...

The sky...the ground...the buildings. The stars he didn't know he missed until now.

"I-I am..." he said, "Thanks to you." he looked back at Clank, "Thank you, Clank."

"It was no problem." Clank replied with a smile, "I am glad that you are now safe."

Hunter smiled back and went to take a sip of his juice, "D-Do you have anything e-else in there?" he asked timidly, "I-I am really hungry..."

Clank nodded, "Of course I do." he pulled the bag over and offered a nutrient bar. "It's not much, but I am certain that you will be given a hot meal at the Callisto residence once we arrive."

Hunter nodded and opened the wrapper, "So...what about Ratchet?" he asked, taking a small little bite, "Is he...is he safe?"

Clank frowned, "I...assume so." he replied, "He escaped a while before I arrived here."

Hunter almost spits out his food, "W-What!?" Hunter asked in disbelief, "Y-You have to tell me!"

With a heavy sigh, Clank leaned back against the wall, "I guess we have time while we wait..." he looked back towards Hunter,

"It's quite a long story...."

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[Kaden]

Kaden watched as Phoebe made a light meal in the kitchen...

"How is he?" she asked quietly, bringing a bowl out for the soup. Kaden shook his head, "On the couch...the same." he responded, "What...what more is there to say?"

"I believe that actions are more valuable than words right now, Kaden." Phoebe said, "All we can do is be there for him."

Kaden nodded, turning away and-

*Ring~*Ring~*

Phoebe looked over at him as he pulled out his phone,

"It's...Mags." he said perplexed but then...his face morphed into an expression of horror. Phoebe paused while stirring,

Kaden picked up then,

"M-Mags? What's up?"

"Kaden...I have to tell you something about Clank. Is he-"

"He's not here!" Kaden replied frantically, "When did he leave!?"

"Over an hour ago..." Mags said, "He never met up with you!?"

"No!"

He heard Mags curse under his breath, "I knew I should have gone with him!" He sounded upset, "Arc?"

"Hunter's....Hunter's gone." Kaden said quietly, "And now Clank might be too!"

"Kaden, we'll find him, alright? Just-"

"No Mags! What if he's hurt o-or they found him! Wait...what if this was all just a trap or-"

"Kaden. Breathe." Mags reminded him, "I'm coming over and we'll look together, okay? Just-"

*Slam!*

Kaden looked up from his phone and ran into the living room with Phoebe. Arc remained seated on the couch as he looked up...

Clank...

Kaden slowly brought the phone back up to his ear, "Come now, Mags." he said breathlessly, "He's here." and hung up.

"Clank? Where have you been!?" Phoebe stepped forward as the bot staggered in, bag over his shoulder. He seemed quite frazzled and...more tired than they have ever seen him before...

"Clank?" Kaden raised a brow, "Are you alright?"

"Uhm...I-I've been...places..." he stuttered out. He looked over towards Arc on the couch. The man looked defeated as his shoulders were slumped, "A-Arc-"

"He's dead, Clank." the man cut him off, "We were too late..."

The robot tilted his head but then...

He flashed a small smile...

"I...I must apologize for putting you through such stress but...I believe that this will make up for it..."

The adults watched as he turned to look outside again, beckoning someone inside. Kaden's eyes widened as he saw the flash of calico fur and Phoebe squealed in happiness. Arc...

Arc's eyes widened.

The light gold eyes...the fur...the timid yet weak smile...

"H-Hunter...?" he asked in disbelief, watching the boy...his son, walk forward. Clank shut the door as he slid away to give the two space, "I-Is that you?" he asked desperately, "Is it really you?"

The boy stepped forward, looking up at him, "I-It's me." he said, "It's me, Dad."

This was all Arc needed to know before striding forward to bring his son into a bone-crushing hug. He felt the boy squirm uncomfortably, "D-Dad...not t-too hard." he whispered and Arc immediately loosened his hold, but not by much.

His son was way too thin, he noted. And it seems like he couldn't stop shaking in his father's arms. His ears went down as he buried his head in his father's chest, and Arc could feel the tears hit his shirt.

"I-I thought I lost you." he said, "My son..." tears started to fall from his eyes too.

Unbeknownst to them, the other three in the room have moved on to the kitchen to give them privacy...a welcome gesture. He needed a moment with his son alone...

"I-I was s-so scared." Hunter admitted, voice muffled by his shirt, "I thought I-I was gonna die in there."

"I'm sorry..." Arc chanted, "I'm sorry....I'm so, so sorry...." he pulled back just a bit, putting hind hands on Hunter's shoulders, "I-I'm the one that did this to you and-"

"Y-You didn't know, Dad." Hunter cut him off, wiping his own tears, "C-Cyfrin lied to you. To everyone. He's the one at fault."

"That doesn't change the fact that I abandoned you, my son." Arc said, "I left you alone and I should have never, ever done that. I should have been a proper father but now...I fear that I am not worthy of such a title, am I?"

Hunter sniffled and looked up at the man, "No...you still are but..." Arc looked down at him in surprise, "Y-You need to p-prove it to me..."

"Of course." Arc brought him into another embrace, "Of course, I will do my best too. No more Council or anything. After all of this...I'm done with it. It's time for me to put you first like I should have been doing since the beginning."

Hunter started to cry again, "N-No more Council?"

"None." Arc clarified, "I would rather die than join those corrupted fools in there. Hell...most of The Council is clueless as to what's going on. I feel that the system will be done with after...after we deal with him."

Hunter nodded, letting out a huge sigh as he closed his eyes.

He was safe....He was okay...and everything was going to be fine.

⊱ ────── {⋅. ✯ .⋅} ────── ⊰

Meanwhile in the kitchen...

Kaden crossed his arms as Phoebe went back to slowly stirring the soup, trying to process the event that just transpired.

But Kaden...Kaden was more livid than anything,

"Clank..." he started, "What were you thinking?"

The robot shook his head as he looked up, appearing to be done with the conversation before it even started, "I saved Hunter without any mistakes. That is all."

"You put yourself in danger!"

"He would have died without me!"

And Kaden's ferocity withered away. He looked away from Clank, "I get that, Clank. I am...I am very proud of you for what you did but...you should have told someone."

"I needed it to be believable." Clank said, "If Arc knew, I doubt he would have had such an intense reaction. He needed to really act like a father that lost his son. I needed everyone else to remain clueless so the plan carried through."

Kaden nodded, "I...I was just worried for you, Clank." he admitted, "I don't want anything to happen to you."

But....something will happen to me...eventually...Clank thought to himself.

"I-"

"-And then Clank came in to save me with this-oh..." Hunter paused at the entrance to the kitchen, being supported by his father. "...am I interrupting?"

"Nope!" Phoebe attempted to clear the sudden awkwardness as she pulled the pot off the stove, "Soup is done! You must be starving, Hunter?"

The boy sputtered, a bit taken aback by her hospitality, "O-Oh...yeah! I-I am, Mrs. Callisto!'

"Call me Phoebe." she started to pour him a bowl, looking at the other men in the room, "Well, what are you waiting for? Help the poor thing sit down!"

Kaden and Arc nodded, the latter helping his son to the table to sit down and get comfortable. The boy looked stunned as Phoebe placed a steaming bowl of soup in front of him with a spoon and napkin. "T-Thank you, Phoebe..."

She smiled as she went back to the stove, putting the pot in the sink. And even while she was somewhat busy, she looked back over to Clank, "Are you alright, sweetie?"

Clank looked back at her, "I'm just...running on low power." he admitted, "But I doubt I can sleep. I believe this is something Ratchet would call...an adrenaline rush?"

Phoebe giggled, "Yeah...that would be it." she then dried her hands and walked over to him, "Let's go sit down and you can tell us what happened. I'm sure Kaden and Arc are dying to know..."

He walked with her, hesitantly sitting down next to Hunter, who ate the soup with vigor. Even though he was starving, he sent a smile towards Clank, in which he returned.

"So...Clank." that was Arc, "I...I can't thank you enough for doing what you did." he told the robot, "I understand why you needed to keep me in the dark and...i-it was worth it." he reached over to place a hand upon Clank's own gloved one, tapping it, "Thank you."

"I did what I had to." he tapped the man's hand back, "You're welcome, Arc."

Satisfied, the man pulled back and gave him a warm, grateful look. His eyes then averted to his son, who he watched fondly, "We heard some of what you did from Hunter." Kaden spoke up, "Now Clank...I want you to be honest-"

Clank looked Kaden in the eyes, silently swearing to tell the truth-

"What does he mean by you creating a "doll" of him."

Everyone looked at him simultaneously, even Hunter, who stopped himself from taking a bite.

Clank sat back, opening his mouth to-

"What's going on here!?"

Mags.

"One moment I find Clank is missing, and then you're-" he pointed at Hunter, "-Dead? But now you were dead...somehow and all of this!? W-What happened?"

Kaden facepalmed, peeking through his fingers to watch as Mags sat down at the table too.

"Hello to you too, Magne-"

"Hey! Arc!" Mags cut him off before he could say anymore, "I-uh...I-I hope you are doing well! Uhm...so...what did I miss!?"

Everyone looked towards Clank again and he just shook his head, flabbergasted, "Well..."

He tried his best to come up with the words without trying to sound weird but...

Whatever! Tell them like it is!

"You see, I am the creator of my current body." he gestured to himself, "To create something convincing, I had to use what I had on hand- or, well...in my mind. The easiest way to do this was to copy off of an actual Lombax." he looked down, "And that was Ratchet. I know his blood type, fur type and texture, I even know what fur-care products work best for him but...that's not the point!" he scratched the back of his ear,

"When Kaden and I were at your house, Arc, that picture-"

"-You copied what Hunter looked like..." Arc cut him off, finally putting the pieces together. Clank nodded

"Correct!" Clank said, "So then I thought about what I could do with that information. If Hunter was set to be executed, I knew none of us could just walk in and face whoever was in there head on. If we did, we would no doubt alert the public and cause chaos and...well, we have time for that."

"So when you asked to use my lab...that's what you were making!?" Kaden asked

"Yes." Clank looked over towards Hunter, "I did my best to work with what I had. In under two hours, I was able to make the shell and put on a mock perma-guise. There's nothing inside but the weight of the metal made it convincing anyways so...I left it at that."

He looked around once he was done, analyzing everyone's reactions...

"Clank..." Phoebe was the one to speak up first. When he turned to look at her, she smiled "That's amazing!"

"Yeah...I don't think any of us could pull that off!" Mags leaned back, "But then again...you are a robot so-"

"Still, you did a great job, Clank." Kaden cut the other man off, "You saved Hunter without getting caught and tricked Cyfrin too." Clank's ears perked up at the look the man gave him...

Kaden was proud of him...was that what caused the man's warm and infectious smile? Because if it was....it made Clank feel so much better about himself.

"This wouldn't have been possible without you, kid." Arc added, "I believe that with you on our side...we can all get out of this in one piece." Clank nodded at him and finally...Hunter turned to give him a full-on hug, abandoning his soup for a moment to thank the other once more.

"Thank you, Clank." and they both pulled apart from one another, "You know....Ratchet would be proud of you too."

Clank was taken aback by that statement, "You...think so?"

"We know so!" Phoebe corrected him, "I'm sure if he was here, he would be partying up a storm...right?" she asked uncertainty, not really knowing what Ratchet would do with Clank.

"Oh...he would." Clank confirmed her statement. And...maybe have one or two "totally normal" drinks that were "absolutely not spiked in any way shape or form."

Ratchet seemed to have forgotten that he had perfectly capable scanners that could tell but...he wouldn't dare ruin the mood.

He was taken away from his thoughts when Phoebe smacked a hand lightly on the table, "Great! Now that's done...why don't we celebrate tomorrow?" her husband nodded as Mags cheered beside him. And then her eyes laid upon Arc who smiled brightly at her, "We'd be glad to attend, right Hunter? Oh...he's asleep...."

To be more precise, his head was on Clank's left shoulder, sleeping away already. Clank looked quite uncomfortable as he tried to shift away from the slumbering boy but...he didn't want Hunter's head to fall either...

"Do not take a picture, Mags." Clank warned the man.

"Too late!" he chuckled, "I'll send it right to your head, tin-can!"

Clank rolled his green eyes, ignoring the notification that popped up in his vision. But then...

He smirked...

"Thank you...Magnesium."

...

Silence...

"Ha!" Kaden smacked the table, "That's great!"

"It's not!" Mags shouted, pointing a finger at Clank, "Start running, tin-can! I'm about to pop open your neck panel and give you a-"

He was cut off at the sound of Kaden's harsh laughter, "Oh my stars...do you ever stop?"

But Kaden just shook his head, saying something along the lines of, "Oh...I never thought I'd hear that again" to "Clank got you!"

Mags just scoffed and sat back down, glaring at Clank and saying something that Clank couldn't make out so...he just sent a cheeky grin towards Mags when the man crossed his arms.

Needless to say, despite the exhaustion and oncoming headache, the night ended on a good note. Kaden and Phoebe got Arc to sleep on the couch and stay the night because transporting Hunter across town right now would be risky. That...and the man looked too drained to even attempt to get home.

With Clank insisting they put Hunter in his bed (and finally doing so) the father and son went to sleep for the night. Clank was awake and sitting in the kitchen with Phoebe who made him his favorite tea. And just in the garage...

Mags finally told Kaden what happened earlier that night...

Kaden looked horrified, "What...?" he whispered out of disbelief, "You found him...passed out?"

Mags nodded, "Yeah. And to make it worse, he didn't even know what happened that made him pass out...I was scared for him, Kaden."

Kaden sat back in his seat, bouncing his leg nervously as his thoughts started to run wild, "So...what do you think is wrong?"

"He's hiding something from us, Kaden." Mags said, "I don't think it's anything bad against us but...I think he knows something we don't."

"It could just be the stuff he experienced with Ratchet. You know how he hates talking about anything that has to do about him, right? It reminds him of-"

"Kaden, please. Do you really believe that is the real reason? Kade, he passed out and had a little breakdown when we got to my apartment. Yeah...he gets upset when Ratchet is brought up but...I think this is something that's...t-that's wrong with Clank or...or hurting him! I don't know but Kaden we need to find out."

Kaden nodded, looking away and feeling at a loss.

If something was wrong with Clank...how could he have let this happen.

"I-I really hope it's nothing too big. Clank worries way too much so...what if he just worked himself to exhaustion? Maybe he was on low power?"

"Then why did he ask me to help him?" Mags argued, "And-"

"-he didn't ask me..." Kaden muttered, "Why?"

Mags looked a bit sheepish, "He reasoned that you'd freak out too much and it would ruin our plans that involve getting Ratchet back. He says we have no time."

"Well of course I worry!" Kaden got up then, pacing the room as he rambled, "Of course, I worry about him, Mags! Hell, he's so much like Ratchet that....it's just- H-He's just so reckless! Clank is so smart but so naïve at the same time. He just walks right into danger, like he did tonight! How do I stop that, Mags?"

Mags looked at him, "Uhm...I never had a kid so...I wouldn't know how to deal with unruly ones. That's your thing."

"He's not my kid, Mags. But! That's not the point!" Kaden shook his head, "What would you do? Like...if he was your kid?"

Mags hummed, "I would...talk to him." he said simply, "But I would also make sure not to freak out about everything he would tell me. The whole reason why he didn't say anything to you was because you make such a big deal out of things, Kade. It's fine to freak out on the inside, but you need to keep it cool for a kid, especially Clank." Mags smiled as the man stopped pacing,

"Remember, Clank may be a walking supercomputer, but understanding our emotions is hard for him. If he sees you freaking out, he's going to start freaking out too and he'll start to feel like he can't tell you anything because it's blown out of proportion."

Kaden was silent for a moment, sitting down and thinking about what his friends said, "You are better at this than I am."

"Really? I think the answer is quite obvious, Kaden."

"But-" Kaden leaned forward, "Phoebe and I made sure to tell him and reassure him that we are here to talk."

"But what if Clank is hiding something so big that he feels like it would be too much for you two?"

Kaden looked shocked at that statement, "W-What do you-"

"What if he said he killed someone? What if he said he was a villain? What if he told you that-"

"-Mags, c'mon, that's unlikely." Kaden waved him off, "But...I get what you're saying. Phoebe and I may be approachable but Clank is not completely sure he can come to us for everything...."

"Great! So now...what will you say when you ask him what's wrong?"

Kaden looked back up at Mags, tapping his chin, "I think...I have an idea of what to say. Thanks, Mags."

"Happy to help..." Mags yawned, "But I think I'm going to go home and sleep. I'll bring dessert tomorrow so tell Phoebe we'll have a competition to see who makes the better cake. Clank would know."

Kaden chuckled, "Alright, Mags. I will."

And with that, his friend turned to him one last time and gave a small wave and pat on the back. He was gone in an instant, leaving Kaden alone to deal with what he just learned...

...

He'll have to tell Phoebe before bed...

...

And he had a feeling that she wouldn't have a good reaction either...

⊱ ────── {⋅. ✯ .⋅} ────── ⊰

[Kaden]

[The Next Morning]

"Should we...talk to him now?"

Kaden looked towards Phoebe, who bit her lip nervously. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun as she got ready to start cooking but...it seems like they both couldn't prolong this conversation.

"How about you start getting prepared for the party and I...I'll talk to him."

"You...are you sure?" Phoebe asked, "I can-"

"I got this, Phoebe. I promise."

His wife stared at him for a few moments, analyzing him and making sure that her husband was being serious (and truthful). She must have seen nothing to convince her otherwise so she let it go, "Fine. Better to get it done before Oliver arrives. In the meantime, I'll make sure Hunter and Arc are well fed so they can last until dinner."

He nodded at her, wordlessly leaving the kitchen as he went upstairs to Clank's room. He was surprised to find the door already open...

He peeked inside, seeing Clank trying to decide between two different colored shirts. It seemed like he was having trouble between black or green...

"No need to dress up like a celebrity, Clank."

Great Kaden! Great start....you dumbass... he berated himself...

The robot turned towards him, pouting, "Would you be surprised if I said I was?"

Kaden chuckled but stopped once he realized that Clank was not laughing along with him...

"You're...serious?"

"Yes." Clank said bluntly, "I believe the black is good." he placed the green one back in the closet, "Do you need anything, Kaden?"

The man went quiet at that, slowly turning to close the door and locking it so they wouldn't be interrupted. At the sigh of the closed door, Clank became uneasy, "U-Uh..what is it?"

Kaden took a deep breath...

Be calm and collected...calm...calm...don't overreact...

"Mags told me what happened, Clank." he started off, watching as Clank's brows furrowed at that, "I-I don't know what's going on with you, Clank but...I'm worried. We all are. And I just...I just want to know what's wrong."

Clank looked down at the ground, saying nothing,

"A-And no, you don't have to say anything if you don't want to but...I want to make sure you're okay! I...I promise I won't freak out about it or anything!" he tried his best to explain himself, "Please...?"

The robot looked up at him hesitantly, "I-I....I am uncertain if I should tell you..."

"Why do you feel that way?"

That's right...get an answer. Make sure Clank can process things. Make sure he can understand....

"I...I-I." Clank averted his gaze, "I..y-you may not take it well."

"I will try my best to stay calm...whatever it is you're worried about." Kaden responded immediately, "I promise. You can tell me and we can work through it together, okay?"

He let Clank process things for a moment, watching as the robot shifted back and forth, most likely debating if he should say something or not....

"My systems..." Clank pushed himself to say it, "Are in distress."

Kaden took a deep breath. Okay...that's scary...That's concerning! Act normal! And don't freak out... He reminded himself.

"What do you mean by that?"

Clank's gaze fell and Kaden hoped he didn't say the wrong thing and-

"I mean that some of my systems are not working the way they should. In turn, the things that do work are suffering for it."

Okay....okay...stay calm.

"Do you know what's causing this?"

Clank's expression morphed into one of hesitance...

"No." The robot said,

Yes...Kaden could tell that was a lie. But he reminded himself that his ultimate goal was to find out what was wrong, not what caused it. He could find that out later. For now...

"I see...can I take a look?" he asked the boy, who seemed to take a step back. "Uhm..." the boy looked down at his hands, "It's really not that much of an issue..."

"It's an issue if it bothers you, and I can tell it does. So just show me and I can help." Kaden held out his hand...

"You're not in this alone, Clank."

The robot looked down at his hands, fiddling with one of his gloved ones. Kaden was left waiting there patiently as Clank mustered up enough courage to (finally) let his walls down enough to admit what was wrong.

Surprisingly...he didn't have to wait long.

After Clank calculated the pros and cons of telling the man, he went to slip off the gloves. He tossed them to the bed when he was done and held his hands out to Kaden, who took them with no questions asked.

"This is a physical indicator that recently appeared. Everything else is quite complicated..."

Kaden took the hands on his own and looked at them. Among the fur, were the patches of metal that were now left uncovered. Some patches were rusted, some were not. He could clearly see that two separate metal panels were cracked and showing the delicate wiring underneath. "You..."

Clank said it once...after he fell off the hoverboard...

"I am made of...the best metal I could find here. Some spots are of poor quality. All it takes is a hit to the right spot."

Kaden frowned and gently ran a finger over the exposed metal,

"I was imprisoned for a while but I escaped using that damaged escape pod."

"Have you had a prior injury?" he asked instead of dwelling too much. Clank pulled his hand away once he pressed too hard, bringing his hands closer to his chest, "Yes, I have. But considering the state of the metal, it was going to wear down anyways."

"Why didn't you use better parts?"

Clank shook his head, "It's...complicated." he said softly, "I didn't have the time, nor the resources, to create something more sustainable. I had to improvise."

Kaden nodded in understanding, "Alright..." Don't freak out...don't freak out... "What about your other systems?"

"They are...in less than favorable condition."

Okay...Okay...that's...bad.

"Okay...well." Kaden trailed off, wondering what to say, "I think the gloves are hurting you more than helping you. The constant rubbing isn't good for that...metal. I suggest leaving them off until Mags and I take a look at it, alright?"

Clank's eyes brightened at that. It appears that he was waiting for Kaden to freak out about it...

And Kaden was freaking out but that was on the inside...

"O-Okay!"

Kaden smiled at that, and reached forward to pat Clank's shoulder, "Great, kiddo! For now, let's just enjoy the party, okay? Oliver will be over soon and I'm sure Hunter would love to hear more about what happened while he was...trapped. Why don't you get ready?"

Clank stood there in disbelief, watching as the man slowly made his way to the door, "O-Okay...I will!"

"Great!"

Kaden opened and closed the door swiftly, leaning back against it once it was shut completely. He stood there in silence for a moment before quickly pulling out his phone and texting Mags...

This was a huge problem and he didn't know how he was going to make it through this party knowing Clank wasn't in great condition. If it was his choice, he would drag the boy into his garage and start fixing whatever he possibly could and order the best parts that could replace Clank's old ones. Maybe he could even fix his hand? And if he can't...maybe he could make an entirely new arm...Yeah! That was it! He could do that!

He slid the phone back into his pocket once he was done, going to busy himself by helping Phoebe.

All he had to do was make it through this party and then the issue could be fixed...

...

Right?

⊱ ────── {⋅. ✯ .⋅} ────── ⊰

[Ratchet]

Nolen was right when he said his friend could help.

"You're amazing!" Ratchet complimented the man in the makeshift medical bed. "I never would have thought that an old toaster could be turned into a radio!

"Yeah well...it's the things you learn while trying to survive a nearly apocalyptic planet, kid." The man, Louie (as Ratchet has come to learn) said. He shook his head, "I am unsure if it works but if it does...we have to be careful."

Ratchet nodded as the man gave the device to him, "I-I'm too exhausted to use it with you now but...maybe later?"

"Of course, Louie." Ratchet replied, "You heal up. I have to check up on Arthur anyways."

Louie nodded as he slowly shut his eyes, "See ya', kid..."

Ratchet left the area soon after. He was surprised to find out that Louie was the man that Nolen held in his grasp when he saved them. He looked practically dead when he first saw the man but...Louie suddenly brightened,

"Nova!? It's you! I-" Nolen cut him off, whispering something in his ear that made his expression fall. Ratchet just remembers standing there quietly until he introduced himself. The rest...was history.

The man was eager to help him, claiming that he might as well do something while he was on strict bed rest. Ever since then, he has proven to Ratchet that he was some sort of genius when it came to technology, no matter how primitive it could be. He turned nothing into something.

Ratchet admired that the most.

"Hey! Ratch! Over here!"

He turned to see Arthur running up to him, "We got bad news."

Ratchet's ears perked up, "What's wrong!?"

"The Morts have stopped responding to our messages. We think they're being blocked."

"Did Nefarious find-"

"No, he didn't." Arthur followed after Ratchet, who was now on a mission to the cockpit, "Guys a nutcase if you ask me."

"Yeah well...he's...Nefarious." Ratchet shrugged his shoulders, "As long as he's on our side, we're fine."

They arrived to see Qwark rushing around and talking to different soldiers and medics alike, knees quivering. Nefarious stood in the center, tapping his foot impatiently. He looked quite annoyed and not even worried. He crossed his arms and tapped a metal claw on his arm.

"Nefarious! What is going on?" Ratchet caught his attention.

The robot turned and looked down at him, "Finally...someone arrives that has some sort of sense around here." Ratchet was taken by surprise at the small...compliment? When Nefarious laid his eyes on him, "What's the problem?"

Nefarious rolled his eyes, "Our beacon stopped working an hour ago. There is no way we can send out any sort of broadcasts. Not like we were receiving anything..." he grumbled, "Basically, we have no idea what is going on and that NIT-WIT-" he pointed to Qwark, "-has no IDEA what he is doing!"

Ratchet looked over to Qwark again, who was quite lost. He was looking around, teeth chattering,

"You're lying, Nef." Ratchet said to him, "What else is there?"

Arthur shifted beside him, unsure where this was going...

The robot's eyes flickered, "Huh...your observation skills are decent enough, squishy." he noted, "This will be good to know when I finally have my chance to take over the universe and ERADICATE you."

"Ha...I'd like to see you try." Ratchet said, "But for now, what is really happening?"

Nefarious realized that he couldn't get away with it anymore now that the conversation has gone this far, "Ugh fine...The Creator was the one that jammed our systems."

Ratchet looked over at Arthur when the boy spoke up, "What!? How could that be? Were so far away-"

"-The Creator has control of multiple planets, you dumb squishy. It's possible he planted devices that will mess with communications so people are even more isolated from one another."

"Which means we need to find a planet that isn't taken over yet and not on The Creator's radar." Ratchet placed a hand on his chin, "Show me a map."

Nefarious groaned in annoyance, turning and pressing a button on the ship's control console. A holographic map popped up and Ratchet looked through it. Arthur watched curiously as he started to mumble,

"Kerwan is gone, of course...Aridia is captured. Kalidon? Gone...Sargasso? We can't endanger The Morts anymore...Possibly Novalis? Maybe the plumber is there!

"The...Plumber?" Arthur asked, "Who the heck is that?"

Ratchet snapped out of it, "Oh...uh...nothing for you to worry about!" he looked towards Nefarious, "It seems safe enough. Novalis has caves and...a sewage system. It's quite far...I'm surprised The Creator hasn't taken it yet."

"Maybe that's where he wants us to go, somewhere obvious." Arthur piped up, "It's a trap."

Ratchet nodded, "True..." he stood there a moment, thinking up some sort of solution, "Maybe we can trick him...if we get Louie's device to work...we can lead The Creator off our tails or scramble his own communication systems."

"Great...how do we do that?"

Ratchet looked towards Nefarious, and then Arthur again."I have an idea."

He grabbed Arthur's arm and pulled him along, "I need to get that radio working. Now..."

"Wait...wait! Ratch, what are you planning?"

"Simple...contact Clank, get him to scramble the communications for us, and lead The Creator off our trail."

"How could he do that?"

"He's Clank...he'll find a way."

He is the smartest robot I know...If Clank can't do anything, nobody can. And it's not like I trust anyone enough here to do the job either...

His best chance was Clank...wherever he is.

⊱ ────── {⋅. ✯ .⋅} ────── ⊰

[Clank]

Everything seemed to be going smoothly.

The food was almost done. The adults chatted happily amongst themselves, even Hunter and Oliver seemed to get along after the initial awkwardness.

Oliver was a bit put off when he found out Hunter was the one that was helping Ratchet behind everyone's back but...after learning what Hunter went through...he started to admire him.

And Clank...Clank was happy.

Watching the people around him in such high spirits managed to lighten his mood as well. Despite his condition and the looming danger overhead, he found himself almost forgetting what needed to be done.

"Clank, you okay?"

He looked over to see Phoebe approach him, "You seem...sullen."

What Clank didn't know was that Kaden and Mags already told everyone about Clank's condition. Of course, they wouldn't say anything about it, but they had the right to be concerned.

"I...I believe I have been to too many parties in my lifetime." he chuckled, "While I enjoy the lively atmosphere and idle conversations, I prefer to sit and take it all in."

"Huh." Phoebe followed his gaze around the home, "I see what you mean. Seeing everyone so happy makes me feel better too." she looked back to him, "Still, are you alright?"

"I am fine." Clank responded, "It all just brings back memories. Ratchet and I-"

[Error!]

"Clank?" Phoebe laid a hand on his shoulder, "Why are you holding your head like that? You-"

[Foreign Object connecting. . .]

[Reading File. . .]

"I...I need to sit down." he told her, making his way to the garage, "Somewhere...quiet."

He ignored her look of concern as he retreated, closing the door behind him before sitting in the nearest seat. He shut his eyes as the pain increased

....

....

Looks like he could still see The Creator's broadcasts...

But this...seems a bit late.

...

Kerwan...was gone.

He opened his eyes again to find his vision blurry, blinking it clear just as quickly. There was something else that was nagging him in the back of his head but...he just couldn't pin it...

"Clank?"

Great...another interruption.

This time it was Mags, "Phoebe said you were acting off, are you alright?"

Clank looked away, really not wanting to have any sort of conversation but...

"I received a transmission." he started, "Kerwan has been obliterated."

"W-What!?" Mags exclaimed, "We gotta-"

"Please...I would rather not ruin the party. I think we all deserve some reprieve, especially Hunter. We can address this after. Maybe tomorrow?"

Mags looked hesitant but nodded anyway, "Fine." He walked forward to pull Clank off the chair, "Now...I want you to try my cake and Phoebe's and tell us which is better. Everyone else is too biased!"

Clank rolled his eyes but let the man drag him away anyway...

He had a party to get back to.

⊱ ────── {⋅. ✯ .⋅} ────── ⊰

[Ratchet]

He almost got it to work...

"Ratchet, you've been messing with that thing for over an hour. I don't think it's going to work..." Arthur crouched down next to him, "You should wait until we land somewhere."

"No, I can't." He turned one of the knobs, "I think I caught some sort of frequency!"

Arthur fully sat himself down, watching as Ratchet kept putting the device to his ear and pulling it away. "Ratch, do you realize how much danger this could put us in?" he shook his head as it seemed like Ratchet ignored him, "You could lead The Creator right to us!"

Ratchet put the device down, "Duh. I know that." he said so nonchalantly that it made Arthur want to hit him over the head because of it, "But what makes you think he doesn't know where we are right now?"

"He would have followed us." Arthur spat, "You think I'm-"

"No, he wouldn't have." Ratchet cut him off, "Because he doesn't need to. He knows we are backed into a corner and have only a few places to hide. And those things he installed on other planets to jam communications systems? Yeah...what makes you think he can't track us in some way?"

Arthur went silent.

"He doesn't see us as a threat, Artie. Only nuisances that he will eventually get rid of when the time is right. He doesn't care where we go because he knows he can find us."

"Sounds like you know what goes on inside his head..."

"No, I just know a thing or two about supervillains and psychopaths." Ratchet said naturally, "The Creator thinks that he is so big and mighty. He sits upon that throne looking down upon people because he feels like he is above everyone else. And the most difficult thing about that-" Ratchet smacked the side of the device, putting his ear to the speaker,

"No matter what you do, nothing will phase him. You can kill his minions, blow up his ships, obliterate his hideouts and he won't care. Not one bit."

Arthur watched him as he continued...

"I've met countless villains in the past and The Creator is just another one to put on my list."

"But...he is unlike any you've met before, yes?" Arthur looked up to the ceiling, "I don't know about your past but-"

"-I'll need to tell you then." Ratchet grinned, "Right after I contact Clank..."

Arthur huffed, "Look, I don't know who Clank is but you have a serious obsession with-"

"Shush!" Ratchet held his hand out to stop him from talking, "I hear something!"

Arthur leaned forward to see if he could hear anything as well. He tilted his ear, listening...

....

"Is that....music?"

Ratchet quickly turned the button, changing frequencies, "Just...beeping now." Arthur muttered, "It's-"

"-Or it could be robots communicating...maybe even Morse code..." Ratchet's brows furrowed as he shook the device. The sound cut off for a moment before returning once more, even louder.

He wasn't going to give up anytime soon...

⊱ ────── {⋅. ✯ .⋅} ────── ⊰

[Clank]

His head was filled with static...

By taking a quick peek underneath his gloves, the metal was completely exposed on his hands. This was coupled with a strange pressure in the back of his neck and an increasing amount of error messages.

Ever since this morning, they have gotten worse. He always got odd transmissions, but he was able to ignore them...usually.

Not anymore.

Because of The Creator's chip that has been causing his system failures, it seems like he couldn't keep up with these things anymore...

So after eating dessert he was left chatting with Hunter and Oliver, both of which started to make plans with one another. Something about video games and arcades and movies...Clank wasn't really paying attention at this point.

Instead, he was just trying to keep himself upright. He thought that maybe the drink was spiked or something but it wasn't (and robots can't get drunk so...)

He didn't know what was going on...

Hunter placed a hand on his shoulder, "Clank? You're looking a bit off, you okay?"

"Y-Yeah...I'm fine." Clank replied, "I...just need some fresh air!"

He went to get up, only to be stopped by Oliver, who stood up just after him, "Actually...you should sit down while I go get the others."

"W-What? Why?"

"Clank...look at your arms."

And Hunter went over to get the adults while Oliver was occupied watching Clank. While he was getting their attention...Clank did get a good look at himself...

The perma-guise was no nonexistent up to his elbows, metal exposed and awesome wires visible. He gasped as he watched more and more of it start to recede...

[Error!]

[Incoming-]

He fell forward a bit...

"Whoa! Whoa, Clank!" Oliver fret over him, moving over to support him, "Clank! What's wrong!?" and he sounded like he was on the verge of tears....

[Foregin Object Connecting. . .]

[Warning! System Overload!]

[Performing System Reboot!]

He started to shake as he finally went to his knees, Oliver unable to help him up any longer. He hung his head, only for it to be tilted up by...Kaden...

But the face....the eyes...

[Reboot in 3...]

"Clank!? Clank, tell me what's wrong!" he shook his shoulders, "Look at me!"

[2...]

"Ratchet...." he called out, looking up at the man and confusing him for his friend...Kaden's eyes widened, "Clank, it's-"

"W-what's happening to me?" Clank whispered, falling into his arms and reminding Kaden of the USB situation all over again...

[1...]

...

[Complete!]

⊱ ────── {⋅. ✯ .⋅} ────── ⊰

[Ratchet]

"Arthur! I heard something this time!"

The older boy groaned as he sat up from his cot, "Please...don't tell me it's another one of those weird songs that-"

"No! No! I actually heard a voice! I...think."

"You think?"

Ratchet plopped himself down at the end of the cot, "Listen..."

Arthur tiredly took the device out of Ratchet's hands and put it up to his ear. He heard nothing at first, and was about to hand it back, but then...there was something...

It was like a faint murmur...someone was obviously talking but...what was being said?

"I think I had enough of listening." Ratchet took the device back, "Time to say something of my own!"

"Ratchet...I don't know. This can possibly broadcast a message anyone can hear! Are you sure"

"-Shush...I'm about to speak..." he cleared his throat, ignoring Hunter's warning glare.

...

He started to speak...

"Clank...Clank, are you out there?" he said softly, "It's me...Ratchet. Can anyone hear me?"

Static...

"Anyone?"

More static...

Arthur just shook his head, exasperated. "Ratchet, I don't think that thing will ever work. It's best to-

-But Ratchet ignored him,

"I know you're out there..." Ratchet muttered,

"Clank...where are you, pal?"

⊱ ────── {⋅. ✯ .⋅} ────── ⊰

[Clank]

It felt like he was floating...

[Welcome Back!]

...

[Startup Sequence Complete!]

His body relaxed onto the hard surface he was laying on as all the tension left him. There was buzzing in the back of his head, but for some reason, he couldn't move anything yet...

He could hear voices...

"No, Pho...we don't know when he'll wake up."

Kaden...

"But...It's been a few hours."

She sounded so upset...

"It's...complicated, Phoebe."

He felt something touch his left arm and...now that he thinks about it, he couldn't feel his right...

He was jostled, and now he could no longer feel his left below the elbow...

...

Was it off!? He couldn't perform a system check...

"This is junk...We're gonna have to make him a new one."

That was Mags...

"I'm pretty sure we got the parts for it anyways."

"Yeah...we'll scan it and make a new one as quickly as we can."

The two men fiddled away with (what Clank assumed to be) his arm. Another set of footsteps joined in...

"Hunter and Arc are asleep."

That was Oliver....he sounded upset too.

"I-Is he okay?"

"He will be, Ollie." Phoebe assured the boy, "There's no need to worry about him."

"T-Then why are you taking him apart!?" he asked desperately, "W-What if he wakes up? H-He won't like that! And if he's fine, why are you doing it in the first place?"

"Clank...needs new parts." Kaden explained calmly, "I'm sure you can understand that, Oliver. He didn't make himself out of the best materials."

...

"W-Why not? Clank's smart! He...he should have known!" Oliver whimpered, "I need to go home but...but I don't want to leave him!"

"Oliver, sweetie, it'll be fine!" Phoebe did her best to calm the boy down, "We'll let you know as soon as he is awake!"

"You mean...if he wakes up..."

"He will, Oliver. We promise." Mags replied.

[Error!]

[Connecting. . .]

...

[Incoming Transmission Available...Open Line?]

Clank jolted a bit...

"Whoa...Clank, are you awake, kiddo?" Kaden asked him. "He just moved!"

"I saw that..." Mags confirmed, "Maybe he's waking up?"

Clank accepted the notification...the buzz in the back of his head intensified...

He heard a bunch of voices, some beeps. As if he was connected to a radio station. The frequencies shifted. Some sounded like warnings...some sounded like commands.

His systems searched through them all, giving him quite the headache...but he stopped once-

....

[Wake-Up In 5...]

-he heard a faint voice...

...

*C-..an..k. . . Ar. . .you ou...t..here?*

...

Was that...?

[4...]

"It's me...Ratchet. Can anyone hear me?"

[3...]

...

"Anyone?"

Clank...would have clenched his fists if both arms were on...

...

It was....this was...This was really-

...

He has to wake up! Wake up! Wake up!

[2...]

"I know you're out there..."

...

Wake up!

[1...!]

"Clank...where are you, pal?"

...

Suddenly, Clank's pupilless green eyes shot open!

Sparks flew as Mags reeled back from what he was doing on Clank's damaged arm. Kaden held a hand to his chest in shock and Phoebe stared in awe. Oliver...looked like he saw a ghost...

Clank sat up, staring right ahead...

Kaden gulped, "Clank? Are you-"

"Ratchet!"

They all paused at the name, but Clank....he looked so relieved,

"Ratchet! I can hear you!"

⊱ ────── {⋅. ✯ .⋅} ────── ⊰

And finally...his voice was heard coming through on a radio many planets away...

...

...held in the hands of a friend that has been waiting for so long...

...

"I-I can hear you too, Clank!"

....

For the first time in a long time...the two of them finally heard each other's voices again.

⊱ ────── {⋅. ✯ .⋅} ────── ⊰

HA! Did I trick you? Did you really think I would kill off my precious Hunter like that? Nope! Think again! He lives!! 

Oh! And Ratchet and Clank FINALLY made contact! HECK YEAH!

Just a side note: I did not take the 2016 movie into consideration. While there may be some similarities or references, the movie's events did not take place here. After all, it was a re-imagining, and this story takes place after A Crack In Time. In other words, Ratchet is remembering/referencing the events from the first game. I forgot what happened in the 2016 game and movie anyways so...heheh maybe it's the same I don't know 😅

Important Notice: Two reasons this was early. 1.) I was too excited to get it out and felt bad for leaving the last chapter ending like that and 2.) I have a BIG project due for my 3d modeling and animation class so I really, really need to focus on it. I will not have time at all to work on it and I would forget to post it. So, I posted this early because I had some time to work on it now and I will not have time later. For this, I don't know when the next chapter will be. I will keep you all updated!

-Sorry for any spelling or grammar errors/issues. I will come back to fix anything later!

I hope you all enjoyed!

As always, have a wonderful day/night, and See you next time! ❤