Chapter Text
“Woah…” Rivet mutters, looking across the Lombaxes’ city on the rooftop plaza of the Center for Advanced Lombax Research, on Kaden’s suggestion, surrounded by a few dozen gardens of decorative flora interspersed with benches and a few tables, all of which were currently empty.
And below her, she sees the unique architecture of hundreds of thousands of Lombax buildings, with hovercars and ships flying in and out, in between, and to and fro while the city lights begin to twinkle on under the setting sun, painting the sky and city in swaths of orange and pink.
And inside every one of those ships, hovercars, and buildings were Lombaxes. Actual, living, breathing Lombaxes, of whom she can easily see a few thousand walking along the lighted sidewalks, people of all shapes and sizes and colors—a strange sight to her given she honestly figured they’d all look just like her.
“So this is the Lombaxes’ home…” Kit marvels, standing beside her. “Even all of the records I have read in the Archives do not do it justice.”
“No kidding…” Rivet says, leaning on the balcony’s railing with awe, staring at it all. “I’ve always wondered what a whole planet of Lombaxes like me would be like, and… Now I’m here. Even though I thought I’d never see it… Today is just full of surprises.”
“I believe that is what they say is the understatement of the century.” Kit points out.
They both give a small chuckle at her comment and continue to gaze at this wondrous sight before them.
But at the same time, Rivet’s mind finally begins to settle after the shock of everything that has just happened over just the last few hours.
Finding out Kit’s secret.
Ending the Empire.
Meeting her long-lost uncle.
And now, standing in the very capital of her species, no longer the only Lombax in the entire universe.
She stands up from leaning on the railing for a moment to look down at herself, finding she was still covered in oil stains from her and Kit personally attending to the fall of the Empire with Nefarious. And looking over, saw similar oil stains on Kit as well, only just now realizing how… Messy they were with dispatching Nefarious after the years of trauma he gave them.
And on that thought…
“It’s over.” She mutters, looking at her hands.
Kit breaks her attention away from the city as she instead looks back to Rivet, tilting her head.
“Huh? What is over?”
“Just… Everything.” Rivet responds distantly. “Everything, Kit. I mean… He’s gone, isn’t he? For good?”
Kit continues looking at her with confusion before she finally registers who this ‘he’ was, upon which a somber expression befalls her features, similarly recalling what she and Rivet did.
Ever since renouncing the Empire, she always had a certain distaste for violence outside whenever it’s strictly necessary, like self-defense or protecting Ratchet and Rivet during their adventure. But there, in Nefarious Tower, with the Emperor at their absolute mercy, being so helpless before herself and Rivet, two of the people who had suffered most under his rule, begging for his life like a pathetic coward, like the millions of his victims before their lives were crushed under his heel?
Well…
Kit did not distaste violence this night.
“He is.” She simply states.
“Nefarious really is… Dead. Isn’t he?”
“He is.” She nods again.
Rivet finally closes her hands, and waits a moment before leaning back onto the railing, now just staring distantly on the horizon.
“…Nefarious is dead, and so is his damn empire. After everything… We did it.”
“We did it.” Kit nods.
“It’s… Over.”
“It is over.”
Rivet lets out a large breath, slowly nodding with a thousand-yard stare.
A moment of silence befalls them, with Rivet digesting this new reality, but Kit beside her shooting glances with increasing trepidation.
Because yes, while this was most definitely a time of celebration, finally slaying the monster that haunted them both… There was one more thing that was technically over now that it was all said and done.
Although the thought honestly pained her, not wanting to bring it up again… It was perhaps best to rip off the bandaid right now, so to speak, now that they were alone.
So, with a sigh and hanging her head, Kit speaks up.
“…So… I suppose our truce is over as well, then.” She says quietly.
“Wait, what? Huh?” Rivet asks, snapping out of her thoughts to shoot Kit a bewildered glance.
“Our truce we made at Zordoom, Rivet. How you still felt uneasy about our long-term partnership and how you do not forgive me, but wished to be partners for this final battle. And now that it is over, well…” Kit looks away. “I suppose the battle has been fought. Those were the terms. I understand if you wish to part ways now that it is said and done.”
Rivet just stares at her, but Kit doesn’t look in her direction.
“So… If this is the last we see each other… I just wish to say that I am sorry for what I did, Rivet, and that I regret it more than you will ever know.” She says somberly. “But I truly did value your companionship today. I learned more about myself with you than I ever have in all my time with Gary, and for that, I am truly thankful. I hope that you will be able to live—”
She is cut off as Kit suddenly feels something she’d never in a million lifetimes think would happen given today’s events.
Rivet hugging her.
“You don’t have to go, Kit.” She tells her as Kit freezes in surprise. “You made me learn a lot about myself today, too. And… I know what I said at Zordoom, but… I think after what happened in Nefarious Tower… I’ve also learned that I want you as my partner and friend. I… Don’t think I’m fully over what happened, yeah, but… After tonight, after you helped us—helped me… I’m feeling myself start to forgive you, and I want to keep feeling that.”
She lets up a bit in their hug to place her hands on Rivet’s shoulders, allowing Rivet to stare in her widened optics with a small smile.
“I know I’d still have an arm if it wasn’t for you, but… I’d be dead right now if it wasn’t for you, either. Everyone would be dead if we hadn’t taken down Nefarious with your help. Even though you didn’t want to do it, you still showed up and fought. And that means something. So… I won’t stop you if you really feel that way, but… I want us to keep going.”
She then holds up her prosthetic hand between them, offering a little shrug.
“So… What do you say? Partners?”
Kit blinks, staring at her hand, then back up to Rivet’s smiling face, and back to her hand, shocked at this turn of events.
Shocked because… Deep down, she didn’t want to leave Rivet, either. But given their shaky alliance they made on Zordoom, she truly doubted that Rivet would want anything to do with the monster that traumatized and maimed her, and was distantly accepting that this would be the end.
But to now be given this second chance, given a fresh new start with no more secrets, no more pain, no more Empire…
Kit beams with a smile, and gladly takes Rivet’s hand and gives a shake.
“Partners.” She says happily before letting go to return a hug of her own to Rivet. “Thank you, Rivet. This means everything to me.”
“Me, too, Kit.” Rivet says contentedly, hugging her back as well. “Me, too.”
They remain in that hug for a few seconds more before letting go, allowing Rivet to stand up. And upon doing so, Rivet holds up her metal fist, to which Kit returns with her own in a fist bump, emitting a little ‘tink’ as they do so, making them both giggle.
Suddenly, though, they hear a door open behind them, and turn around to find Ratchet stepping into the rooftop plaza with drinks in either hand, walking over to them—where he was still a little roughed up from their adventure today.
And upon seeing him, Rivet smiles, a warm feeling filling her chest.
“Good news, that café downstairs is open this late after all!” He chuckles as he joins them at the railing, offering Rivet one of the paper cups. “One tasty hot chocolate, as promised.” He says.
Rivet gladly takes the steaming cup with a nod.
“Thanks, Ratchet.” She says earnestly before taking a sip and looking at it. “Man, that really hits the spot right now.”
“Told you.” Ratchet smiles. “Especially when it gets a bit chilly up here while the sun goes down. Nice, peaceful, and quiet. I see why dad likes this spot.”
“Yeah… I think I can get used to this.” She says contentedly with a smile.
A peaceful silence settles on the trio as they all observe the twinkling city below and beyond, watching the sky grow slightly ever darker with the setting sun, all the while Ratchet and Rivet sip on their hot chocolate together, leaning on the railing.
After all the hectic chaos today, this moment of just standing here, doing nothing, basking in their victory…
It was… Blissful.
Rivet always wondered what it’d feel like on the mythical day that the Empire fell, let alone be able to begin to answer some of her life’s biggest questions about her species and family, but she didn’t quite think that it’d be so… Peaceful.
Celebration, sure, parties, there were most definitely going to be a few thrown by Zurkie and the Morts, but this very moment of nothing happening, watching a sunset over her people’s city with a new partner and a new friend while drinking hot chocolate?
Rivet didn’t know she needed this. But she did. And she relished it.
But at the same time, she glances over to Ratchet, leaning on the railing beside her, currently licking some of the hot chocolate off the fur of his upper lips in an awkward fashion, unable to help but make her smile in amusement.
And to think that if he hadn’t just randomly showed up in Zurkie’s when she turned around… Where would she be right now? Planning the Resistance’s next move? Getting into another fight with an Imperial patrol? Have a little too much to drink at Zurkie’s, and spend the rest of the night in a depressed mood thinking of how much she’s lost to Nefarious and his Empire? Hell, maybe this would’ve been the night she made one mistake too many and ended up dead on a mission gone wrong.
But, no. She wasn’t doing any of that.
She was standing here in the Lombaxes’ home, covered in the oil of Nefarious’ remains while everyone she knew back home was most definitely celebrating the fall of the Nefarious Empire.
All thanks to a happenstance meeting with this person right next to her, Ratchet.
But as she stares at him, still holding a smile, Ratchet finishes cleaning off his hot chocolate moustache and glances over to make eye contact with her, freezing for a moment, and then nervously chuckling.
“What? You didn’t see anything. Don’t judge me, because I know you know how much of a pain it is to drink stuff with all this fur.” He argues, trying to save face after realizing she was watching him lick it off.
Rivet giggles a bit, but shakes her head.
“It’s not that.” She tells him. “It’s just… Thank you, Ratchet.”
Ratchet blinks, caught off-guard by the sincerity of her tone.
“Erm… For what?”
“Everything.” She chuckles. “Just… Everything. I wouldn’t be standing in a Lombax city without you, I wouldn’t have met Kit without you, I wouldn’t live to see the day Nefarious dies without you, I just… Wouldn’t be so goddamn happy right now without you.”
Before Ratchet could react, he’s stunned as Rivet suddenly stands up from the railing, and steps over to give him a tight hug, her hot chocolate still in hand.
“I know I already did all this earlier, but… Seriously. Thank you, Ratchet. You don’t know just how much you’ve changed my life today.”
Ratchet remains frozen in surprise for a few moments, not expecting yet another hug from Rivet tonight—though it was far from unwelcome—and looks down to Kit behind Rivet, who appeared to be smiling at their interaction, and just gives Ratchet a nod.
After realizing it’s been a few seconds, Ratchet finally snaps out of his surprise to return the hug to Rivet, still mindful of the beverage in his hand.
“Don’t mention it, Rivet. Just… A part of the job, I guess.” He chuckles. “I’m just happy that you’re so happy.”
They continue hugging for a few moments more before they let go, looking back at each other with smiles.
“You know, I didn’t exactly peg you for someone who hugs a lot.” He comments amusedly.
Rivet chuckles.
“Me neither, honestly. I, uh… Hope you don’t mind, though.” She says, rubbing the back of her neck with her free hand, giving an awkward smile. “I probably should’ve asked before doing that, huh?”
“What? No!” Ratchet answers quickly before he catches himself and clears his throat before calmly correcting himself. “I mean, no, it’s okay. I like hugs, too. So don’t worry. Hug away with me.” He says while grinning with a thumbs-up.
Rivet, in response, can’t help but laugh at him a little, and although he felt a little embarrassed by what he did, her laugh is infectious enough to make him join in as well as they return to leaning on the railing, overlooking the city below.
“Will do, hotshot.” She finishes as she calms down, taking another sip of her drink before smacking her lips a bit. “You know… For as good as this stuff is, it’s definitely missing a little something.”
“Oh yeah? Like what?” Ratchet asks amusedly.
“Mmm… Lemonade, I think.”
“Wait, what? In hot chocolate?!” He asks in shock.
“What? It’d totally be good!” She defends.
“No, that sounds gross. Are you and those Morts that obsessed with lemons?”
“Well, I wouldn’t say obsessed…” She argues, taking another sip.
“I must concur that mixing those beverages does not seem… Common.” Kit pipes up.
“Yeah, no. saying you wanna mix lemonade with hot chocolate is obsession. Little word of advice is to not say that if you don’t wanna look like a freak around here.” He chuckles.
She scoffs, rolling her eyes.
“Screw you guys.”
“Just saying.” He smiles.
She huffs a small laugh through her nose, but upon registering his comment, her smile falters a little.
“You know, speaking of fitting in with the Lombaxes…”
Ratchet pauses mid-sip, catching the trepidation in her tone, and glances over to see her staring at the horizon while holding onto her cup with both hands.
“…Will I?”
“Woah, hey, don’t worry, I was just making a dumb joke! I didn’t mean to—”
“It’s not that.” She shakes her head. “It’s just… I think I’ve been too preoccupied with handling the Empire today that, like, actually getting to know the Lombaxes isn’t something that has sunk in. But now I’m here, standing in a Lombax city, and… I don’t know.” She mutters, hanging her head. “It’s not like I’ve lived a normal life, Lombax or not, and after fighting Nefarious my whole life and suddenly not having to do that… Can I? I mean, I didn’t even know I had an actual living relative, and I’m not exactly a rebel anymore if there’s no Empire to rebel against, and it’s just…”
Both Kit and Ratchet frown at her comment, seeing the anxiety starting to build up within her as she fidgets with the cup in her hands.
Kit steps over to place a hand on her back out of concern and sympathy, and as Rivet looks to her upon the contact, Kit offers a small smile of her own. While she didn’t know what to say to make her feel better, all she knew was that as Rivet’s friend and partner, she was here for her, and wanted to make it known.
Luckily, Rivet seems to understand Kit’s gesture with the small smile she gives as well.
But then, Rivet feels a hand on her shoulder, then making her turn towards Ratchet.
“One day at a time.” He tells her. “That’s all it takes.”
“What do you mean?” She asks.
“I’m not going to say I’ve lived the same exact life you have, but… I think I know a bit of what it’s like to be in your shoes.” He shrugs with a smile. “You think it was easy for me to switch from intergalactic hero that gets shot at to a mechanic who does nothing but fix ships all the time and then meeting the Lombaxes where it turns out I have a dad? Hell no.” He laughs.
“I know it’s really scary, Rivet, and that you’re full of doubts and this, like, antsy-ness, but… Don’t worry. Really. Because as long as you take things one day at a time… It’s going to be okay. And that’s what I’ve learned.” He says with a smile, patting her shoulder before leaning on the railing again.
“But… What if I mess things up somehow?” She responds, now leaning her back on the railing instead to look at Ratchet. “Like… I don’t know… I suck at being a Lombax here? Or I can’t get used to a ‘normal’ life back home with no Empire? Or that I make Mags hate me somehow? Or just—”
“Or you don’t do any of that, because it’ll be fine.” Ratchet laughs. “Yeah, getting used to the Lombaxes will take a bit, it did for me, and hell, I’m still trying to get used to it a whole month later, too. And, yeah, your ‘normal life’ won’t feel normal for a while, either. And yeah, my dad and I did have some… Rough patches in the beginning with each other, I’ll admit.”
He then looks back at her.
“But guess what? I’m still here, learning about the Lombaxes, living a non-heroic life—as best I can, anyway—and I finally get to know what life with an actual dad is like, too. Even through all the scary stuff, too.” He smiles.
Rivet just fidgets with her paper cup again, crinkling it a little, and then looks back to Ratchet, who just smiles.
“But the most important thing is that I wasn’t alone. I had Clank. And you’re not alone, either. You have Kit, and Clank, and me, too.” He explains, gesturing to Kit and himself. “And, for what it’s worth, even if things get really scary for you, I just want you to know that no matter what… I promise I’ll always be here to help you. Sound good?”
She continues staring at him, a little taken aback by his firm promise. But on the other hand… It felt like it was exactly the thing she needed to hear right now.
So, smiling, Rivet gives a nod.
“Sounds good.” She confirms.
“Good.” Ratchet smiles as well, reaching over to pat her shoulder before leaning on the rail once more. “Now, how about you stop worrying about Lombax stuff, and worry about that rightfully non-lemonade hot chocolate and the sunset.” He chuckles. “You deserve it.”
Rivet rolls her eyes at his lemonade comment, but leans on the railing as well, giving one more glance towards him before turning her gaze to the sun dipping below the horizon.
“Yeah. I guess I do.” She says contentedly with a sip of her drink.
Meanwhile, Kit steps away from the railing for a moment to inspect some of the pretty flowers the Center has on this rooftop plaza, finally getting a chance to see some species she only read about in the Archives.
But when she turns back to the Lombaxes, about to call Rivet over to look at a particularly beautiful flower, she stops upon seeing that somehow, in the middle of that talk, they ended up standing right next to each other on that railing, just a few inches from touching shoulders.
And seeing them enjoy the silence, the view, their beverages, and even if they don’t seem to have noticed, each other’s close presence…
Kit smiles, and turns back to appreciating the plaza’s gardens, thinking she can show Rivet that flower once they head back down.
“And then we showed up here, you yelled at us, and you know the rest.” Kaden rolls his eyes before removing the soldering iron from Clank’s chassis, looking back up at him sitting on top of the workbench. “That feel good, Clank?”
“Much better, yes.” He says, rolling his arm a bit before smiling at him. “Thank you, Kaden, Ratchet can finish my repairs back home, we have the spare parts for it.”
“And I can still pop in some kind of cannon or something in you, too, you know.” Julie leans in, bouncing her eyebrows up and down. “Like I said, I can just run down to the lab and—”
“I would rather not, thank you.” Clank states flatly, turning to look at her through half-lidded optics. “I do not trust that your modifications would not do more damage to me than Nefarious’ jamming systems and soldiers.”
“Stars, Ratchet’s right, you are a buzzkill!” Julie loudly groans before throwing her hands over to him and Kaden. “First, you guys go on a TOTALLY BADASS adventure overthrowing a GALACTIC EMPIRE without me, and you won’t even make it up to me by letting me mod you with some sick weapons!” She pouts with crossed arms.
“Didn’t you hear a single word of what I’ve been telling you two?” Kaden groans as he moves to put his tools away in a cabinet. “What part of ‘we got kidnapped several times and nearly died every five minutes’ makes you jealous?”
“The part where you got to shoot everyone! Duh!” She states matter-of-factly. “Why’d you have to force me behind, huh? I wanna come next time!”
“Sure, Julie. Next time I foresee a five-minute trip to the Archives turning into an all-out war, I’ll bear it in mind.” Kaden states dryly as he walks back to the workbench with Julie and Clank, the latter of whom simply hops off the tabletop, shaking out his legs a bit to confirm that Kaden’s repairs have made his mobility feel better before looking up to smile at him.
“Thank you again for the repairs, Kaden. I will go and see what Ratchet and Rivet are doing up on the roof, if you do not mind.” He says thankfully.
“Not at all. But I think we both know what they’re doing up there.” He winks with a click of his tongue before chuckling.
Clank simply rolls his optics, but proceeds to walk to the door of the lab to meet back up with his partner.
However, as the door hisses open, Kaden then looks over to the stool Mags was sitting on across from him, seemingly oblivious to them all as he just sits there, eyes cast to the ground, brows furrowed in thought with his arms crossed.
Kaden, knowing his overthinking self well enough, frowns a bit as he steps over to lightly place a hand on his shoulder that he barely acknowledges.
“You okay, Mags?” He asks. “I mean, I know it’s a lot to take in, but, hey, we’re all home, safe and sound, right?”
He pats his shoulder with a smile, and Mags finally looks back up at him, but doesn’t return the smile as he instead just frowns.
“…Is that really true, though?” He asks somberly. “Yes, you and Ratchet are here in one piece, but… Is Rosie? Rivet?”
“What do you mean, Mags?” Julie asks, now also concerned as she looks at him. “Rivet wasn’t any more roughed up than the rest them when she showed up.”
“I mean… Just look at her. After all that shock and surprise wore off when she came through that portal, did you see her?” He asks. “She’s a young girl, only Ratchet’s age, but when I saw her, I just saw… A soldier. Someone so tired, battle-weary, hurt behind those eyes like Kayla’s, and that’s not even mentioning her arm. It sounded like you guys went through hell today, Kaden, but… That wasn’t just today to her. I can tell. That was her whole life.”
Kaden keeps quiet, seeing the pain in Mags’ own eyes and guilt seeping into his voice as he then leans forward on his knees sitting on the stool.
“Ratchet’s gone through hell, too, he fought Tachyon as a teenager. But he at least had something of a normal life before Tachyon, and between all those galactic threats of his too. But Rivet… With that Nefarious psycho and that Empire ruling the whole galaxy… I don’t think she was allowed to get that. She was forced into so much pain and trauma fighting against it just to survive, and we can all see she lost her arm for it, but just what else did she lose? What else does she have? And it’s just…”
He sighs, letting out a breath as he then buries his face in his hands.
“How could I have let that happen to her?” He utters in dismay.
“Mags…” Kaden says softly with a concerned frown.
“Woah, woah, woah!” Julie firmly states, quickly moving over to rest a hand on his back and knee. “How can you say that, huh?”
“How can I not? It was my responsibility to keep everyone on Savali safe!” He says, throwing up a hand as Julie sees his eyes begin to glisten. “That was my job! And I failed! If I just paid more attention, i-if I instituted stricter rules, if I even just locked down the goddamn ships, Kayla and Dex wouldn’t have left the colony! They wouldn’t have been shot down and killed by that fucking Empire, and have their daughter, my niece, damned to a life of survival and fighting and trauma and who knows what else!” He cries out, tears finally starting to roll down his cheeks. “All because I failed her and my sister!”
“You didn’t fail anyone, Mags.” Kaden speaks up in a calm tone, once again placing a hand on his shoulder. “You did exactly the right things in the circumstances. You did what I expected of you when I put you in charge of the colony. You can’t blame yourself for all these what-ifs after it happened, and especially when it was something you couldn’t have possibly seen coming at all.”
“But how can I not blame myself for seeing Rosie like… That?” He asks miserably, shaking his head. “Seeing her so traumatized, and hurt, and tired, and—”
“Alive?” Julie interjects, raising an eyebrow. “Why don’t you realize that, huh? Mags, Rosie is ALIVE! For all these years you’ve mourned her just as much as Kayla and Dex, but you just HUGGED her a half hour ago! Are you saying you’re not happy that despite everything, your niece is somehow alive?”
Mags sniffles as she gently rubs his back, his eyes downcast as he slowly shakes his head.
“Well… N-No, I’m not saying I’m not glad she’s alive.” He mutters. “I’m happy that she lived, but—"
“But what? She’s alive, she’s here, reunited with you, and that’s all that matters.” Kaden cuts him off before sighing. “Look, I get it, Mags, I really do. You’re beating yourself up over what you should have done, could have done in the Exodus, torturing yourself in all the different ways you could have saved your family if you knew just what was going to happen. But you didn’t. None of us did. None of us could. And we both lost our families that day. And now, here we are, with them back in our lives after all these years.
“And now that they’re back, hearing what they did for all this time, the life they had to live because of what happened, you start to torture yourself more over those what-ifs and how they could have lived differently, lived better if only things were a little different. Sound familiar?” He raises his eyebrows.
Mags remains quiet, but gives a nod with another sniffle after a second.
“Good. Because it should also sound familiar because it’s what I went through when Ratchet came back, too.” Kaden explains. “Hell, when he first told me what happened with Tachyon, I thought for sure I was going to die right there from a heart attack, thinking I failed my one promise to Marie to protect him, and it didn’t get much better after learning more about the dangerous life he led. It… Led to a not-so-pretty moment when we went hoverbooting once, actually.” He chuckles nervously, rubbing the back of his head, remembering their heated argument the day after they met.
“That’s… Not exactly making me feel better, Kaden.” Mags comments with a frown.
“Well, it should. And you know why?” He asks, leaning towards him, prompting him to answer the question.
Mags sighs irritably, still with a frown.
“I don’t know. Why?”
“Would you say Ratchet hates me? Thinks I failed him?” He responds, crossing his arms. “Blames me for all the horrible shit that’s happened to him over his life?”
“What? No, of course not.” He says with confusion.
“Then why would you and Rivet be any different?”
Mags remains silent, but Kaden continues on anyway.
“Ratchet and I had a few rough spots when we reunited, yeah. Mostly because I was torn up over thinking I failed him. Hell, I remember when we took him to the Center for that meeting, I told you that much, and do you remember what you said to me?”
“…The important thing is that he’s here at all.” He utters.
“Exactly. The past is the past, Mags, and all we can change now is our future. And for you, that’s now a future with Rosie in it.” He says softly, gently patting his shoulder. “I know there’s only so much you can do when we say to stop saying you failed her, but you can do what I did with Ratchet; use this as a second chance to do your best to give her that life you wanted her to have.”
“Yeah!” Julie agrees with a smile and a nod, now prompting Mags attention to her as she continued to stand beside him, hand on his back. “And you have to remember you’re not alone, either, Mags. You’ve got Kaden, and you’ve got me. I’ll always be here to support you, especially when it comes to helping you be the best uncle to Rivet as her Cool Aunt Julie!” She smiles.
And for the first time since Kaden began recounting his and Clank’s journey with the Empire, Mags manages to huff a small laugh through his nose with a smile.
“You’re not going to let down the fact that dating me technically makes you her actual aunt, are you?” He asks amusedly, wiping the remnant of a tear from his cheek.
“After all the shit you and Kaden give me about being Ratchet’s aunt? Of course not.” She grins. “Which is exactly why I’ll be damned if I let you ruin this opportunity for me by having you beat yourself up about all your woulda-shoulda-coulda talk. You hear me?”
“I hear you, Julie.” He nods, looking at the floor in thought for a few moments before glancing between her and Kaden with a small smile. “Thanks, guys. I don’t know where I’d be without you two.”
“Hey, after all you’ve done for me, there’s nothing I won’t do to help you, too.” Kaden smiles.
“Plus… You’d be all lonely without a beautiful girlfriend like me, too.” Julie says, slowly leaning in to now wrap an arm around him while batting her eyes.
“Well… I’d still have Taurus, too, if that were the case.” He smiles.
She immediately frowns and pulls away from her hug to instead cross her arms with a pout.
“That was supposed to be the part where you’re all ‘Of course, Julie, you’re right, I am lucky to have a beautiful girlfriend like you!’ But just for that, I’m not going to kiss you to make you feel better like I was planning on. Dick.” She says, snootily raising her head as he chuckles.
“And however will I live, knowing you never keep your word whenever you say stuff like that?” He asks sarcastically, to which she scoffs.
“And THAT was supposed to be the part where you apologize and say I’m right, and then I give you that kiss anyway! Now I’m definitely not kissing you.”
“Mmhm.” Mags hums with a smile. “Do you wanna kiss me anyway, Julie?”
Julie remains pouting, crossing her arms, staring at him smiling, not moving.
But then, he sees her frown falter for just the slightest moment, and a few seconds later, closes her eyes with a breath, and leans in to plant a nice kiss on his cheek before going back to pouting.
“Screw you.” She mutters.
“I love you, too.” He says.
Kaden chuckles at their interaction, but mostly relieved to see that they managed to break Mags out of his spiral into misplaced guilt and misery, something he himself had too much experience of. But just like him, Mags now had a long-lost relative reunited with him, and giving him that second chance he always wanted to right his perceived wrongs, and most importantly, to forge a better future for their family.
Deciding to give Mags and Julie a moment for their flirting/bickering (Kaden couldn’t even tell half the time anymore), he heads towards the lab door to fetch Ratchet and Rivet from the rooftop to send everyone back home for some much-deserved rest and relaxation.
“You sure you don’t want to stay with me? I’ve got a pretty sweet shooting range in my basement!” Julie asks Rivet and Kit standing before her, shooting finger guns at them with a toothy grin. “We can totally have ourselves a little girls’ night in talking about our favorite weapons!”
“That honestly sounds kinda fun, but… I think it’s best I go back to my own dimension, at least for the time being. If not so the Morts can throw me one hell of a party like I know they’ll want to.” Rivet chuckles with an apologetic shrug.
“Plus, I imagine that there may be some… Cleanup, in the aftermath of the Empire’s fall.” Kit chimes in with a raised finger.
“Aww…” Julie slumps.
“Well… You’ll always have a place here with either of us, whenever you want to visit.” Mags smiles before rubbing the back of his head. “Erm… You know, if you want to.”
“Oh, don’t worry, I really want to visit here as much as I can!” She replies with an enthusiastic nod. “I mean, I’ve always dreamed about meeting the Lombaxes and maybe even my real family all my life, and, well, now I can. It’s… Honestly a dream come true.” She smiles.
And while Mags feels happy at hearing it, Julie glances to him, and remembering his fears he was venting earlier, sidles up to him, wrapping an arm around him while looking back down to Rivet with a smile of her own.
“Including getting to know your Uncle Mags?” She asks happily.
Mags shoots Julie a confused glance, wondering where this was coming from as Rivet chuckles.
“Well, yeah!” She says plainly. “I mean… Honestly, I kinda didn’t really expect to have any family here when thinking about the Lombaxes and stuff, figuring that there’s a reason I was all alone, after all. So, finding out I have an uncle is… Nice. A little weird, since I’m not used to the idea of a Lombax relative, but… It’s still nice.”
Although Mags still felt full of guilt and doubt, given their discussion earlier… Hearing his niece say she wants to hang out with them felt good.
“You’re right. It is nice.” He says contentedly. “I didn’t know that you were still alive back in that dimension, so to see you here, all grown up into your own person… It’s just good to have you back, Rosie.” He tells her before his brows furrow. “Erm… I mean, Rivet. I’m sorry, I’ve only ever known you as—”
“It’s fine, I get it.” Rivet chuckles. “I admit it’s weird to find out my real name, but… It’s a nice weird. I… Don’t think I mind it if you call me that sometimes.”
“Oh… Good. Good.” Mags nods. “Good to know.”
“Yeah.” Rivet nods back.
“Yeah.” He returns.
And with that, an awkward silence befalls them as they stand there, looking at each other before rubbing their arm or neck, glancing down to the floor or ceiling of the Interdimensional Division’s lab as Kit and Julie quietly observe.
However, Julie breaks the silence with a large groan.
“Wow, you two are definitely family alright with how awkward you both can get.” She says with a roll of her eyes before stepping over to Rivet, and suddenly reaching down to wrap an arm around her while holding onto Mags in her other arm.
“Woah!” Rivet says, suddenly feeling herself yanked towards her.
“J-Julie!” Mags cries with as much surprise, feeling himself being yanked as well.
“It’s a good thing you’ve got your Cool Aunt Julie to break the ice! Now come on, family group hug!” She says happily while squeezing them both.
“Why do you never ask before yanking on and hugging people?” Mags asks.
“Erm, I’m still kinda covered in oil and stuff too…” Rivet awkwardly points out.
“How about you both shut up and hug back, eh?” Julie asks before looking down and realizing Kit was just awkwardly standing in front of them, visibly unsure of what to do with herself in this situation. However, Julie just smiles and nods her over. “Come on, you too! You’re Rivet’s partner like Clank and Ratchet, right?”
“O-Oh, erm, that is…” Kit stammers hesitantly widening her optics at the offer before looking to Rivet for guidance.
However, Rivet seems to look back at Julie, then at Mags, who just offers a ‘what can you do?’ smile, then rolls her eyes and returns her gaze back on Kit.
“Yeah. She is.” She says with a smile before nodding her own head and raising her free prosthetic arm to her. “Come on.”
Kit blinks, once again taken aback by Rivet accepting the idea of their partnership, but quickly snaps out of it as she smiles back, and steps over to join them, with Rivet wrapping an arm around her as they all hug at Julie’s insistence.
“Aw, now look at this, we’re all a big, happy family!” She says delightedly while most definitely squeezing the hardest out of them all. “I am so rubbing it in Kaden’s smug-ass face that I’m a real aunt now.”
“Unless I break up with you.” Mags teases her before she lightly kicks him with the side of her foot, making him laugh.
“Asshole.” She responds as Rivet chuckles at their interaction, feeling some… Warmth, being in this hug with them, her real family, and feeling like it with how they were reminding her of the Morts and their bickering and banter growing up.
They all remain in the group hug for a few seconds more before they all hear someone clearing their throat, looking over to see Kaden holding the Dimensionator, standing alongside Ratchet and Clank.
“We interrupting something?” He asks with a smirk.
“Yeah, a family moment, Kaden.” Julie responds. “You know, a real family moment, given that I’m Rivet’s actual aunt now!”
“But still not Ratchet’s.” He simply replies.
“Yeah, well, fuck you. How about that, huh?” She says snootily before sticking her tongue out at him.
“Good one, Julie.” Mags says sarcastically as they all break away from the group hug before looking back at Kaden and Ratchet. “So, everything all prepped and ready?”
“Yep, ready to send everyone home.” Kaden nods.
“Thank the stars, because I think I’m going to sleep for the next three days.” Ratchet says with a young. “I’m exhausted.”
“Or, there can now be a new calamity in our dimension that will require our immediate help to—”
“Clank, I swear to the goddamn stars that if you keep jinxing us today, I will hurt you.” Ratchet cuts him off, rubbing his eyes as Clank simply chuckles at his joke.
Kaden sighs at Clank’s jinxing as well before looking at Rivet and Kit.
“Well… You two ready?”
“I sure am. I’m with Ratchet, I’m wiped.” Rivet nods.
“As am I.” Kit agrees.
“Cool. Now… Should I send Kit back to Savali, or send you both to Sargasso?” He asks, bringing up the dimensional map display of the Dimensionator.
“Oh, erm… I… Suppose…” Kit stammers nervously, that question catching her completely off-guard, and unsure of what the answer should even be.
She looks back up to Rivet, who in turn looks back down to her with an expression that said not even she considered the idea of whether they should live together or not, now that they were official partners.
However, after a few seconds, Kit sees a small smile cross Rivet’s lips before she shrugs, looking back to Kaden.
“We’ll both head back to my hideout. I mean… We’re partners after all, right?” She asks, giving Kit a playful little nudge.
“I… Suppose we are, yes.” Kit says happily, once again surprised but grateful for Rivet’s acceptance. “Partners.”
“Great! Then it’ll save a trip!” Kaden says as he then goes to Sargasso on the map, but then pausing for a second upon being faced with the planet’s readout, and looks over to Ratchet with a chuckle. “Erm, where exactly does she live?”
“Here, I’ll do it.” Ratchet says as he takes the Dimensionator from Kaden, finding the location of Rivet’s hideout on the map before locking in the coordinates, cranking the lever, and pulling the trigger.
And before them all, a portal with shimmering purple edges suddenly appears in the air in front of them, showing a nighttime exterior of a cave in the middle of a swamp that looked honestly kinda raggedy from everyone else’s perspective, but brought a sense of comfort, familiarity, and warmth to Rivet as she looks upon it.
“You… Live in a cave?” Mags asks, trying not to sound judgmental.
“Cool!” Julie comments, prompting a questioning glance from him.
“Yeah.” Rivet chuckles, staring at the cave, already hearing her bed calling her name. “Home, sweet home.”
She begins to walk to the portal, Kit in tow, but then suddenly pauses halfway through.
“Erm… Something up, Rivet?” Ratchet speaks up with some worry, stepping over to her. “Forget something, or…?”
Rivet looks to snap out of whatever thoughts she was having, turning her head over to him now standing beside her, resting a hand on her shoulder before she then smiles.
“Yeah, actually… Just one more thing.” She says.
Before Ratchet could ask, he suddenly finds Rivet wrapping her arms around him, and squeezing him tightly into another hug like the one from the rooftop earlier.
“I just wanted to say thank you again.” She says quietly. “I’m glad I got to meet you, Ratchet.”
Ratchet freezes, hands raised at another unexpected (but far from unwelcome) hug from Rivet, finding she was squeezing him harder now that she didn’t have a hot chocolate in her hand to worry about.
He glances over to his father, who simply smirks while bouncing his eyebrows, making Ratchet shoot him a frown before deciding to just ignore him and squeeze Rivet back, enjoying how it felt anyway.
“You’re welcome, Rivet.” He says contentedly before Rivet lets go, allowing them to look into each other’s eyes. “I’m glad I met you, too.”
While neither of them seem to realize it, they stand there, grinning and staring at each other like idiots, seemingly oblivious to everyone else around them.
However, not oblivious enough to ignore the big Speetle that quickly scurries out of the portal, startling the pair before Rivet giggles.
“Oh, whoops, looks like we let in a little—”
“THE FUCK IS THAT?!” Julie yells, making everyone jump as she instinctually whips out a rifle from her Arsenal and unloads a clip into it in a matter of seconds.
And once the gunfire finally stops, the barrel of Julie’s weapon smoking as she hesitantly raises it, they all look over to see the Speetle laying dead on the floor just a few feet away from the portal—or rather, what remained of it among the blood and gooey bug viscera around a carapace that once resembled a Speetle.
“Phew! Took care of that!” Julie says proudly as she holsters her rifle back into her Arsenal on her belt, crossing her arms with a smile.
“THE HELL WAS THAT, JULIE?!” Mags yells at her, finally bringing his hands down from his ears.
“What?! Some kind of demon bug runs out of a portal, and I’m NOT supposed to shoot it?!” She argues, throwing up her hands. “You’re welcome!”
“…It was just a Speetle.” Rivet mutters with wide eyes, staring at its corpse, thankful that Trudi didn't decide to pop through. “Those things are harmless…”
“Poor creature…” Kit says sadly, covering her mouth.
Mags sighs while rubbing his eyes.
“This is exactly why we use pepper spray and not just lighting things up as soon as we—Whatever.” He concedes, dropping his hand while rolling his eyes, looking at the mess as well before throwing a hand at it. “Well, doesn’t matter. You killed it. Good job. Now we have blood, guts, and bullet holes in our perfectly good floor now. Thanks, Julie.”
“As if you didn’t blow up an entire wall in my lab the one time you tried out a rocket launcher.” Julie scoffs.
“That was one time—"
“AND I CRASHED YOUR SHIP ONE TIME TOO, AND DO I HEAR THE END OF IT?”
“YOU KNOW PERFECTLY WELL THAT’S ENTIRELY DIFFERENT!”
“Oh, boy.” Kaden mutters before stepping over to Rivet and patting her shoulder as they begin to argue. “Well, they’re going to be at this for another ten minutes, so you should probably head back home. It was good meeting you, Rivet.”
“Oh, erm… You too!” She nods, tearing her gaze away from the innocent Speetle’s remains to give Kaden a quick smile. “Thanks for your help today, Kaden. Really”
“It’s no problem, really. And, oh, yeah, one more thing! Take this.” Kaden says as he grabs something out of his pocket and places it into her hand, letting her inspect it. “Interdimensional communicator. If you ever want to call one of us from another dimension for whatever reason, there you go.”
“Oh… Thanks! I’ll be sure to use it!” She says, putting it into her pocket before glancing between them both—and Julie and Mags still arguing behind them. “So… See you guys later, then?”
“Yep.” Kaden nods.
“Definitely.” Ratchet smiles. “So… Goodnight, I guess?”
Rivet giggles, but nods.
“Yeah. Goodnight. Bye.”
“Bye.”
With that, Rivet looks down to Kit standing beside her, and upon beckoning her head to the portal, they turn and walks through, stepping from clean, metal lab floors to the swampy dirt of Sargasso, and breathing in the stank air with content.
But as she and Kit cross the threshold and stand before her hideout, Rivet turns to look over her shoulder, landing her gaze onto Ratchet standing in front of it.
And with one more small smile, she gives him a little wave.
Ratchet smiles and waves back, looking into her eyes as well before the portal suddenly closes and snaps shut, leaving him to be waving and staring at a random cabinet on the other side of the lab.
“AND THAT’S NOT TO MENTION THE FACT THAT I EVEN PAID FOR IT WITH—Wait a sec, where’d Rivet go?” Julie suddenly says, furrowing his brows while looking over to Ratchet and Kaden, the latter of whom was looking at him with a grin.
“She left as you two were arguing. Yet again.” Clank answers simply, standing next to Ratchet. “She said goodbye, at least.”
“Aw, without a hug?” Julie slumps before pouting at Mags. “Look at what you did!”
“You started it.” He says, crossing his arms.
“I did not!”
“No, you did.” Kaden smirks before nudging Ratchet with his elbow. “You even ruined their little romantic moment there!”
“Yeah, you—Wait, what?!” Ratchet demands with offense, taking a step away from his father to scowl at him. “The hell do you mean by that?!”
“Oh, come on, you two hugging like that? Staring at each other like that?” He laughs. “Why, if that poor bug didn’t just run through for Julie to murder, I would’ve thought you two were going to kiss.”
“Oh, that moment…” Julie says, putting a finger on her chin before nodding. “Yeah, no, that was totally romantic. My bad on that.”
“WHAT?! That’s not—It was just a goodbye hug!” He stammers, maintaining his frown as he crosses his arms. “Stop insinuating all this stuff about a ‘crush’, because there’s NOTHING happening!” He emphasizes with heavy air quotes.
“Uh huh. Because you totally were hugging and staring into each other’s eyes just now as ‘just friends’.” Kaden rolls his eyes.
“Plus, you two were leaning on that balcony awfully close to each other when I joined you all on the roof earlier.” Clank pipes up beside Kaden. “It almost looked as though you were leaning on each other.”
“Oh? Do tell.” Kaden teases. “The plot just thickens.”
“H-Hey, shut the hell up, pal! No one was talking to you!” Ratchet points at him before pointing at his dad. “And nothing’s ‘thickening’ here because there is no plot or anything happening! What, I help change her life for the better like she said and she hugs me, what am I supposed to do? Not hug her back?!”
“That just means she’s into you too!” Julie says, winking with finger guns. “Just believe me, Ratchet, from a fellow lady with feminine wiles; all systems are a go.”
“Who said you have feminine wiles?” Mags asks, raising an eyebrow.
“You know, if you keep going like this tonight, I’m going to skip the gun and just go straight to stabbing you with the bullets.”
Mags snickers at her scowling before shrugging to Ratchet.
“Well, not that I’ll torture you with it like Kaden and Julie, but from what Kaden and Clank have been saying on top of what I saw just now, I can’t deny there’s something between you two that might go a little past friendship.” He says coolly. “For what it’s worth? I’ll support it. You two seem to have a lot in common.”
Ratchet just stares at him in disbelief before groaning loudly and rubbing his face.
“For the last time, NOTHING is happening between me and Rivet! Okay?! Got it?!” He demands them all. “We are JUST. FRIENDS. Why is that so hard to believe, huh?!”
“Because you two keep making goo-goo eyes at each other. Duh.” Kaden teases once more, still crossing his arms with a grin before laughing a bit.
Ratchet glares at him as he crosses his own arms.
“Oh, yeah? Like you and Chief Wells?” He asks.
Kaden’s laughter immediately ceases as his face grows to seriousness, and a touch of embarrassment upon glancing at Julie and Mags, raising an eyebrow at him.
“Oh, boy.” Clank mutters with a shake of his head.
“I think he’s got you there, Kaden.” Mags points out with a smirk. “You have been talking about this ‘Alice’ a lot lately.”
“W-Well… Only because we keep running into each other lately!” He tries to argue coolly, crossing his arms. “We just talk, is all.”
“Then what the hell was up with you taking her out to dinner? Twice?” Julie questions, also a hint of teasing in her tone.
“T-Those were just to cheer her up from really bad days she was having!” He defends. “Besides, nothing uncouth happened, either, we just talked, ate, and went home separately. Completely professional.”
“Yeah, well, nothing uncouth’s been happening between me and Rivet, either, and yet, here you are insisting the opposite.” Ratchet says with a roll of his eyes before reaching down to help Clank onto his back before taking out the Dimensionator and browsing its map once more. “Hypocrite.”
“Why are you so insistent on this nonexistent ‘crush’ between Alice and I anyway, huh? Don’t you hate the idea?” Kaden questions with a frown.
“Oh, one hundred percent. But with how much you keep accusing ME and Rivet of having ‘crushes’ on each other, I have to point out how much of a hypocrite you are!” He says, pointing at him.
“Me? You’re the one who’s being a hypocrite Mr. “Oh, We Had A Connection When We Looked At Each Other!” He argues with air quotes.
“And you’re the one calling that hardass ‘Alice’ and inviting her for dinners to our house and making goo-goo eyes at her whenever you talk!”
“There’s a reason literally everyone is pointing out the obvious between you and Rivet, you know!”
“And there’s a reason you never shut up about that cranky bitch who hates my guts for existing!”
“Must we have this same argument again?” Clank asks tiredly from Ratchet’s back. “It has been much too long of a day, and I believe we are all deserving of a rest.”
Ratchet and Kaden look at him, pausing in their argument before sighing, conceding with Clank that yes, they were both very exhausted from an impromptu liberation of an entire galaxy today.
So, after locking in the coordinates on the Dimensionator, Ratchet gives his father a tired look.
“Whatever. Nothing’s happening between me and Rivet, and you should stop trying to say there is.” He says before raising the Dimensionator. “In the meantime, me and Clank are going to head home for some sleep, where I won’t ever have to hear about any crushes that don’t exist from now on. ‘Kay?”
“Agree to disagree.” Kaden responds before he rubs his face. “And I think it’s about time I head back home, too. Stars know I need some recovery after coming out of retirement for a day.” He says, stretching his back out.
“Old man.” Ratchet says with a smile as he cranks the Dimensionator.
“Shut up.” Kaden argues as Julie and Mags chuckle, a portal opening to Ratchet’s Veldin garage in front of him.
“Nah. See you later!” Ratchet says, giving a wave before stepping through the portal, and having it snap shut behind him.
And as Kaden, Julie, and Mags are left alone in the lab together, Kaden looks to them both, and gestures a hand towards where Ratchet just was.
“I mean, it’s obvious, right?” He asks.
“What? The crush between him and Rivet, or the crush between you and that Chief lady?” Julie asks, leaning over to playfully poke at Kaden.
“Because yeah, they’re both obvious, I’d say.” Mags chimes in with a grin.
Kaden rolls his eyes with a scoff, shoving Julie’s poking hands away as she laughs.
“Whatever, fuck you guys.” He says as he begins walking towards the lab’s door.
“What? The smartass that’s been plaguing us for the last two decades is finally getting a taste of his own medicine, and we can’t relish the opportunity?” Julie asks. “We’re wounded, Kaden.”
“Good, then you guys can go bleed out and die while I go home and get some damn sleep.” He replies before pointing at them over his shoulder. “Like I said! It’s professional between us!”
“Agree to disagree.” Mags responds, making Kaden scoff before he finally walks out of the lab, leaving them both to snicker to themselves in the empty lab.
But after their laughter tapers off, leaving them in silence, Julie then stretches with a large yawn.
“Wow, today was a long day, huh? Kaden and Ratchet going on an adventure, you freaking out, our long-lost niece coming back? I’m just wiped.” She says as she starts to walk towards the door. “See you later, Mags! I’ll—”
“Oh, I don’t think so.” He says, suddenly grabbing her shoulder to stop her in her tracks. “You are staying right here with me until we get your mess cleaned up.” He says, gesturing to the Speetle remains bleeding on the floor.
Julie slumps with disappointment, glancing between it and Mags’ firm expression.
“But, Mags…” She complains.
“Nope. You killed it, you clean it. Go get a bucket from the closet. We got gloves, too.” He says, shaking his head. “You’re lucky I’m deciding to help you.”
“But… Mags…” She says, suddenly putting on a low tone, wrapping an arm around his shoulder while walking fingers up his chest with a smile. “Maybe if you let me go, I can pay you back? At home…? In bed…?” She winks. “I’ll even let you play with my—"
“Julie, if there is one thing that I’m realizing does the opposite of turning me on, it’s you trying to seduce me while I’m starting to smell a dead swamp bug’s guts bleeding out on my lab floor.” He says with a completely unamused expression. “You are staying here with me until the only thing left are the bullet holes that you’re going to explain to maintenance when I have them fix it later.”
“Uggghhh, FINE!” She says, completely losing her seductive attitude as she throws up her hands, walking over to the closet he pointed out. “I was going to let you try some butt stuff too! Most guys would kill if their girlfriend offered that, you know!”
“Yeah, well, most guys’ girlfriends don’t liquify giant bugs from other dimensions for them to clean up, so let’s call it even.” He says as he rolls his eyes, walking over to help her find the rubber gloves. “Besides, you let me do that kind of stuff anywa—”
“IT’S THE PRINCIPLE OF THE THING, MAGS.” She yells as several mops clatter onto the floor from the opening closet.
“YOU CALL THAT FLYING?! I SWEAR TO THE STARS THAT I WILL SEND YOUR ASS TO THE AMUSEMENT PARK IF YOU WANT TO PLAY BUMPER CARS SO GODDAMN BADLY!” A uniformed, brown-furred Lombax woman yells at a recruit sitting inside of a high-tech flying simulator finely-tuned to their standard cruisers’ specs—of which was currently flashing a red “FAILED” across the command screen.
“Why do we even have to do this?!” The recruit argues, sitting in the simulator’s cabin, also mocked-up to look just like their cruisers. “It’s not like there’s high-speed chases through the city or whatever all the time!”
“Oh, I don’t know, maybe it’s because there were literally FIVE HIGH-SPEED PURSUITS OUR OFFICERS HAD TO RESPOND TO IN THIS MONTH ALONE, ADAMS.” The woman argues with a scowl, pointing at him. “And given that they all almost got away because said officers didn’t feel like keeping up with their simulator training outside of fucking with it on their lunch breaks to see how funny it is to crash into shit, you are sitting your ass in that cabin until you catch the perp in five minutes or less!”
“But—”
“OR, if you find flying our cruisers too hard, maybe you can instead scrub down every single one of them as a favor for the competent officers who can actually pass their training?” She growls, leaning into the window of the simulator’s cabin. “If you start right now, maybe you’ll be done by tomorrow night. Sound good?”
The recruit widens his eyes, and quickly shakes his head.
“That’s what I thought.” She nods before leaning out of the window. “Like I said; five minutes, or else next time I see you, you’d better pray that I’m generous enough to give you a toothbrush to scrub with.”
With that, the recruit straightens up, grabbing hold of the controls once more, and restarting the simulation, the 3D screens around him displaying a realistic display of their city, civilians and traffic and all, before a highlighted ship quickly flies past him, prompting him to pursue and apprehend.
And upon seeing him jump to action, beginning to speed his simulated ship after it, she gives a satisfied nod before stepping away from the simulator, and glancing at a nearby clock on the wall, seeing that it was already nighttime, and well after the formal end of her shift.
She sighs, beginning to walk towards her office, thinking that it’s most definitely been too long of a day as usual if she’s found herself working late to discipline and/or train officers. Again.
However, as always, the silver lining was that after only a bit of daily paperwork, she can finally clock out, head home, and relax. As best she can, anyway.
After a few minutes of walking, she finally reaches her office door, thankful that she didn’t happen to run into any misbehaving officers en route to delay her even further. Thankful for her, and them, as it was always in those particular moments that she was less than forgiving to—
“Good evening, Chief Wells.” A voice greets her as soon as she opens her door to step inside.
She jumps, not expecting anyone to be in her office, and as she recovers from her fright, especially not someone like the aging Lombax before her, hunched over on his cane as he appears to have been in the middle of inspecting the scant décor of her office.
“Oh, erm… Good evening, Councilman Harold.” She says professionally with a nod, albeit with some confusion. “My apologies, I wasn’t aware that a visit by you was scheduled?”
“There wasn’t. This is more of an impromptu, unofficial affair.” He says gruffly with a scowl that she could tell seemed more or less permanent by the wrinkles of his face—distantly making her wonder if she’ll look that bad with how often she scowls, too. “Your receptionist told me to let myself in and wait for you.”
“Again, my apologies, I was busy with training some of my officers.” Wells says as she closes the door, walking over to her desk to sit at it. “Disciplining some, as well. Here, feel free to have a se—”
“And much of that is needed recently, hm?” The Councilman asks, raising an eyebrow at her. “Certainly the impression I’ve gotten.”
She furrows her own eyebrows, suddenly deciding that this visit did not bode well for her mood.
“I’m… Sorry?” She asks.
“Discipline. Training, as well. Two things that your officers seem to sorely lack, as of late.” The Councilman says as he hobbles over with his can to sit across from Wells at her desk. “It has come to my attention that there is a troubling… Trend, as regards to crime in the city.”
“And what trend is that, sir?” Wells asks, raising an eyebrow with a frown.
“Do you really need me to tell you, Chief Wells?” He counters. “Is it not your job to prevent and respond to crime? If you really need me to tell you, then the situation is much more dire than I first thought.”
Wells begins to scowl, now confirming her initial thought that this visit was most certainly going to be grating—as it almost always was whenever it came to interacting with the Council.
“I am perfectly aware that crime has been increasing over the years, Councilman, and it is precisely the point I made when arguing for my promotion to replace the last Chief of the City Guard.” She states curtly. “And just like then, I am performing at the best of my ability to rectify it and improve the City Guard to—”
“But how well has that been turning out, hm?” He cuts her off. “Just over six months since your installation as Chief, and what is there to show? I’ve yet to see any significant progress towards crime prevention, and most alarmingly, the reputation of the City Guard as a whole. Or rather, the lack thereof.”
“What are you here for, Councilman?” Wells asks with some bite to her tone, giving him a hard stare.
“The same as you; the safety of our people.” He answers without skipping a beat, harshly tapping his cane on the floor, meeting her stare. “Something that I feel may be jeopardized in the future, by the way the City Guard is going.”
“Let me repeat, sir, that I have been instituting new policies, training, and punishments for our officers to improve the City Guard after the, quite frankly, horrible leadership of my predecessor.” She says with a scowl. “Do I need to point out the very fact that I am sitting here to speak with you right now, two hours past my end of day, purely out of my mission to accomplish that?”
“But have you accomplished it?” He scowls back. “It does not matter what you do or do not do in here, Ms. Wells—”
“Chief Wells, respectfully, sir.” She interjects.
“—As what matters is what the public and the Council see in your performance. And it has been… Troubling.”
“Like what, then, hm? Because this ‘troubling trend’ you’re complaining about has been present even before I got here, so what specifically is bringing you here to address it right now, Councilman?” She demands, crossing her arms.
“The full breadth of it is not yet for non-Councilmembers to know about.” Harold replies, making Wells internally roll her eyes while thinking that of course it’s some Council bullshit like that, as usual. “But the most concerning is a recent… Incident that occurred due to the incompetence of your department.”
She closes her eyes, taking a deep breath before opening with a tired frown, somehow knowing exactly what he was talking about.
“It’s about that little shit that dropped out of another dimension last month, isn’t it?”
“Yes.” Harold growls with a scowl. “Do you realize how damaging that event was to the public’s perception of the City Guard? A televised chase where he outmaneuvered your officers at every turn, having them fail in apprehending him multiple times, only succeeding because he simply gave up? And, on top of all of that, having everyone see that he was in possession of a Dimensionator?”
“Oh, I am perfectly aware of how horrible that was for us, Councilman, and it’s exactly why I have been busting my ass to rectify it.” She assures him.
“But you have not been doing enough, Ms. Wells.” He argues, making her scowl at him plainly ignoring her request of referring to her by her title. “The fact of the matter is that what happened, happened, and what happened is that our civilians were able to see a dangerous, heavily armed individual run amok in the city, free to do as he pleased, unable to be stopped by the very police force meant to subdue him, with the only saving grace being that the little miscreant was more concerned with entertaining himself than causing mayhem, destruction, and death.”
“I said that I am aware of what that punk’s chase did to public—”
“And what if it happens again? What if we have another Ratchet fall into our city, but one that was willing to murder? Would the City Guard even be capable of stopping him?”
“That is exactly the scenario that I have been training my men to avoid from—”
“Or, more realistically, is there anything stopping enterprising criminals from watching how our City Guard so easily flaunted their ineptitude in catching a child, and therefore, inspiring them to become braver, and committing more crimes with more confidence that they won’t get caught?”
“Sir, I am TRYING to—”
“I know the City Guard’s reputation has steadily fallen since the Praetorian Guard’s complete overhaul in the Exodus, Ms. Wells, but this event has been unacceptable for—”
“THEN WHY DO YOU CARE NOW, HUH?!” She finally snaps, yelling as she slams her hands on her desk while standing up, startling Harold very slightly as she points at him. “IF YOU AND YOUR DAMN COUNCIL HAVE KNOWN ABOUT HOW MUCH OF A GODDAMN CIRCUS THE CITY GUARD’S BEEN FOR YEARS, WHY THE FUCK HAVE NONE OF YOU GIVEN A DAMN ABOUT IT UNTIL NOW?! NOT WHEN THAT CLOWN OF A CHIEF WAS HERE FOR DECADES, NO, BUT ALL OF A SUDDEN WHEN I’M HERE, ACTUALLY TRYING AND GIVING A SHIT ABOUT PROTECTING THE MEN, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN OF THIS CITY?!”
He blinks at her as she huffs angrily, but just as quickly recovers as he simply sits there, hands clasped on the cane between his legs as he scowls up at her, staring back into her glare.
“Because it was under your station that the most damaging event to the City Guard occurred with that Lombax’s tumultuous arrival, Ms. Wells. And not only that, but it is with his arrival that the future of our species has been thrown into question.” He says sternly.
Wells’ anger subsides slightly for concern and confusion at his cryptic statement, and she watches as Councilman Harold stands up from his chair with a grunt, leaning heavily on his cane as he stares back at her.
“The Council has much to discuss about our people’s future in the coming weeks. And among our discussions will be the City Guard’s place in that future.”
He then turns to walk back towards the door, Wells just glaring at him as he does so, and as he reaches for the door, he turns his head to look back at her.
“As I said earlier, this was an unofficial visit. But also consider it an unofficial warning, Ms. Wells; Unless there is significant improvement to the City Guard, perhaps the Lombaxes will be better off with just the Praetorian Guard to protect them for the greater good. At least they would be able to stop a child on hoverboots, unlike you.”
“And as I said earlier, it is Chief Wells. Sir.” She growls.
“And I have yet to see you earn that title.” He states before simply opening the door, stepping out, and closing it behind him.
And for a few seconds, Wells is left standing there, hands on her desk, breathing angrily as she digests the Councilman’s words, and the implications behind them.
She had no idea what kind of Council business he was talking about, saying things like the future of their people, and all because of the Punk showing up, too. Sure, she knew the little bastard managed to kill Tachyon, but was that really the only reason? What didn’t she know? And if it concerned her and the City Guard enough to the point of warranting a Councilman to visit her himself, why the hell wasn’t she allowed to know what it is, huh?
But, maybe it didn’t matter. Because even if she didn’t understand what this bigger picture was, she was able to perfectly understand that grouchy son of a bitch’s threat:
Unless she somehow manages to do literally everything in her power to make the City Guard do a 180 and become the public’s bastion of protection and safety instead of the useless and incompetent laughing stocks they’ve been for over a decade…
Then there may no longer even be a City Guard. Just a random detachment of Praetorian soldiers to replace them all.
Twenty years of dedicating her life to the noblest cause of being there to help the people of her city, twenty years of frustration, sleepless nights, and satisfaction…
Gone. Just like that. Because of the goddamn Council and their ‘greater good’.
“FUCK!” Wells cries out as she randomly grabs a stapler off her desk, and hurls it against the wall, to where it shatters into pieces.
She watches them clatter to the floor, huffing angrily, her breath getting shakier before she sits down onto her chair, blankly staring at her desk full of paperwork, then at the walls adorned with awards of her many years of proud service, and then the clock that confirmed to her yet again that she should’ve been home over two hours ago, and yet, chose to stay because she wanted to, for the good of the City Guard.
But as she does so, she feels her communicator buzz from her pocket, making her huff an angry breath as she reaches down to look at it, swearing to the stars that if somebody has dared to piss her off in this moment, she will murder them with the full wrath of—
Her train of thought derails as she sees it is simply a message from Kaden.
Hey, Alice, sorry if you’re busy or working, just had a LONG day today and thought of you is all, given how much you tend to work. I sure as hell need the rest and relaxation, so I thought to remind you that you need it too! Goodnight!
She blinks at the message, finding it a bit odd for Kaden to message her, given he’s never really done that before, let alone for something as frivolous as a goodnight or wishing her well.
But despite whatever reason he has to send such a message… It manages to put the faintest smile on her face to see that someone was thinking of her right now.
But on the other hand… She feels a pang at seeing him tell her to take it a bit easy, as this was now the single worst time in her life to do such a thing after that meeting.
She begins typing out a reply with a sigh.
Thanks, Kaden. Can’t really relax now though, one of your assholes from the Council just came in and basically reamed me saying that I’m a failure and that unless I pull a fucking MIRACLE the City Guard is going to get dissolved and it’ll be all my fault and—
She pauses, biting her lip, and after a few seconds, deletes it and begins typing again.
Thanks, Kaden. Just had a chat with one of your Councilmembers though, and he’s pressing me because of some kind of ‘Council business’ that’s my fault somehow, and I was wondering if you could tell me what the FUCK he’s talking about so I don’t lose my livelihood and waste the last twenty years of my life, I’d really—
A pause. Delete. Typing.
Thanks, Kaden. By the way, can I ask for another favor? I need to turn around the City Guard ASAP, or else it’s getting dissolved, and I think I could really use your expertise again. I know it’s probably a huge bother since you’re a Councilman and you’re talking about restarting your Interdimensional Division and you probably won’t have much time for me, but I’d still really appreciate it if—
Delete.
Thanks, Kaden. By the way, what do you do when you feel like nothing is ever working out for you? Like everyone is against you, you’re trying your hardest, but it’s still not working, and that no matter how hard you try, it might not even mean anything in the end when you still fail against impossible odds because of fucking assholes in—
Delete.
Pause.
Everything fucking sucks right now, Kaden. I’m tired. I’m alone. And I really need your help, even if it’s as stupid as just having SOMEONE to vent to about how nothing I do seems to fucking matter if it’s all going to just burn down in the end because fucking everything is against me and—
Wells groans with frustration as she just plants her face into her palm propped up on her desk, her other arm hanging limply at her side with communicator in hand.
She sits like that for several seconds, rubbing her face and not moving, until she finally drags her palm down, and brings up her communicator, staring at Kaden’s message and her half-finished one.
With a large, shaky sigh, she deletes it once more, and types out one more message before hitting send.
Thanks, Kaden. I’ll keep it in mind. Goodnight to you, too.
Wells then haphazardly tosses the communicator onto the right side of her desk with a clatter, staring at it for a moment, and proceeding to cross her arms onto her desk before burying her head in them.
“Fuck…” She mutters, feeling her throat burn along with the sting of tears beginning to prick at her eyes.
