A Lifetime plus Two Years

By: M14Mouse

Disclaimer: Don't own them. I wouldn't mind owning one of those cute agents of Dread.

Summary: Ratchet's POV on Clank

A/N:

--Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence. True friendship is a plant of slow grow, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation.—

George Washington

"Are you ready, Clank?" I said as l check my weapon one last time. This was it. The final battle against current baddie of the universe, Dr. Nefarious

"I am ready."

I heard my best friend's voice behind me.

If you told me two years ago, I will be out and saving the universe. I would tell that you are crazy. Two years ago that my best friend would be a robot named Clank. I would hit you over the head with my wrench.

Lets face it, folks. I respect robots but at the time, I dislike them. They were everywhere. They could do anything. They were prefect. Any other creatures were less than prefect. They didn't fit into the universe. For the longest time, I didn't fit into the universe. I drift from job to job. I try to everything. I just couldn't find where I belong. Sure, I was a good mechanic but was good is that when you had a robot that could do the job for less money than you. With time and effort, I start to build my own ship. I hope to found another planet and hopefully find somewhere I belong.

That change when a key component crash landed on Verdin.

The key component was Clank.

We weren't friends at our first meeting. In fact, I was down right mean to him. Here was this loud and smart robot wanting my help. A robot want my help and I would have told him no but he was my one way ticket out of Verdin. I was going to take it even if it require of me to taxi him around the galaxy to find Captain Qwark. I kept telling myself that the next planet I would be able to get rid of him. Instead, I was drawn into his quest to finding Captain Qwark. Once we did find him, we found out he was working with Drek. He was nothing but a fake. Someone I look up at the time, turn out to be a fake. Figures. Clank couldn't figure out why I was so angry. He just didn't understand. This man told me I could be a hero. Normal Ratchet could be a hero. It was almost impossible dream to me but it felt so right.

Then when I found out he was a fake. I felt that dream was also a fake and that hurt more than anything. I wanted revenge. It sounds stupid now but then, I want it so bad. Clank really didn't understand it. Clank is so logical and straight forward. He doesn't see grey areas like I do in life or people. Honestly, I think that one of Clank's best qualities. It allow to me to see there is some good in the world. I told him quite bluntly that if we find Captain Qwark then we will find Drek. I was right but it took long. By the time, we find Captain Qwark and defeat him. Drek had move forward with his plans. He was going to destroy my home.

My home! Nobody attack my home and get away with it. With me and Clank working as a team, we defeat Drek one and for all. I didn't feel like a hero when I was finish. I just feel happy that my home, I, and Clank were safe. I was going to search the galaxy for a place to belong. I may not belong on Verdin but it was home.

Clank injury his arm as we escaped. Part of me wanted to walk away from Clank and never to see him again. I did just that. I walked away from him. I keep telling myself that don't look back. Clank will find someone to help him. Clank was a great guy and anyone would take him in. With every footstep I took, my heart grew heavy. The minute I reach the bridge, I knew that I couldn't do it. I grow attach to him. I would even say he was my friend. I could feel empty place on my back where he was. I couldn't abandon him. I turn myself around and got him. When the look of disappointment wash off his face when I got him.

That moment hit me.

He could feel. He may not show many emotions but he could feel them.

"Come on, let go back and fix that arm." I said. I couldn't say anything else. I was lost for words. I knew I never want to see that look on his face again.

Saving the world had made us instant celebrities. Everything in my once normal life was now chaos. We had to do interviews, holo-flicks, magazines, and endorsement ads. We will push and pull in every direction. The only thing that kept me sane was Clank. Clank was calm through the entire thing. I don't know how he did it. In looking back, we need each other. When fans become almost terror, I would step in and when the contracts come up, he would step in.

Instead of the battlefield, it was now the real world that we become a team and friends. In fact, he became my new roommate. Boy, we argue a lot. He was so logical that drove me nuts. He would challenge me in every way and I am not one to step down from a challenge. I went out of my way to prove him wrong. Sometimes, it would fail and other times, I would win. I enjoy the challenges. In the quiet times, we just sat and read some magazine or play videogames. I enjoy that too. We didn't use words. We just needed each other.

Of course, peace didn't last for long. In this case, it was all because of a pet. A pet would attack anyone without any purpose. Now imagine that pet multiplied by millions. This was first time I went solo. Clank was tired of the fighting. So, it was strange to go alone. I miss him. When the thief kidnapped him, I was angry. No one mess with my best friend. The thief was lucky that she didn't harm him. I don't know what I would have done if she did. After that, Clank rejoined me on my saving the universe thing. You wouldn't guess who was behind it? Captain Qwark. Yes, the same Captain Qwark who ally himself with Drek. He nearly destroyed my universe. It was almost scary that how easy he slipped into power.

Once we defeat him again, I was hoping for good. I didn't take many offers from the media. I was busy with Galaxy Rangers, Megacorp, and private work. I realize I wasn't into the media. My time at saving universe had made me into a soldier. I would protect the people and robots.

But Clank did one holo-flick and it made him a star. I would refuse to allow him to go the holo-flick studio alone. I didn't trust that director but the director had other ideas. He made me Clank's chuffer. I hated it. I hated it how Clank became a hero in eyes of the public. I become a shadow. No one cared about Ratchet. I was jealous but I wouldn't let that get in the way of my friendship with Clank. He was more important to me than that. One time that the director made me something do that I truly hate. I left the studio in a rage and to find a message on my answer machine from Galaxy Rangers. I took the mission without Clank. Despite his halo-flicks, he would never left me go alone on these missions. I knew Clank was at the studio doing some voice work. I grabbed my gear and left.

Later that night, I returned to home. I was hoping that Clank wasn't home. I was hoping that Clank got busy with something else. The mission was tough. The mission was to clear out some monsters from the sewers. It turns out that some monsters turn out to quite a few monsters with a lot of teeth. I feel so tired and my body ached in so many places. I was lucky that my armor was so well padded or it would have been worse. The moment, I step into the house. I allowed the door to close and lean my body against it. I didn't need to look up to see him. I could feel his green eyes on me.

He ordered one of the robot butlers to take me to my room. I think I fell asleep before I even made it to my room. I remember waking up and Clank was right there.

"Clank, I…" I said.

"You will never do that again." Clank said.

I have never seen Clank so angry and so worry. We had a long talk about everything. Believe me, it was hard and revealing. I bet one of those magazines would have loved to be in the room. By the end of the day, everything was settled. I remember fall asleep that night thinking never make Clank angry.

Someone else decide to conquer the universe. Most importantly, it was Verdin. No one mess with Verdin while I am here. With the aid of the Galaxy Rangers, we were able to clear off the planet. It leaded to bigger problem with Dr. Nefarious. I think his IQ was high as Captain Qwark. Speaking of Captain Qwark, he came back and was made lead of our mission. In other words, he gave the orders and I had to run around the universe doing what he should be doing. It made me so sick and tired. I could do fine by myself but I was just normal Ratchet. No one important even the president thought of me as some chuffer. In eyes of the media, I was a nobody.

I really didn't try to think about that. People and robots I saved were the ones that matter. Clank would get fan mail but my fan mail was different from his. He would read them and he would hear the people on the streets. After one of the mission, we were walking back to the ship. Clank looked at me and said he was proud of me. He was honor to have me as a best friend. I was shocked. I asked him what brought that on. He smiled as he waved his hand toward the Galaxy Rangers who salute us as we passed. I kneed down to the ground and said to him that I was honor to have great friend to watch my back. His green eyes light and he smiled a little. We didn't need anymore words between us. We just knew.

Of course, I felt like an idiot when I didn't know my best friend got swap with a fake. I didn't want to look at Clank when I free him from the cage. The most amazing thing was he didn't blame me. He blamed himself. What a pair we are! We blame ourselves for this mess.

I guess that is what friends are for. Why do I have feeling that we are going to have a long talk about that event later?

I worry about that later. I was about to jump into my final battle with Dr. Nefarious. I lock my gun into place as I take a deep breath.

"It has been a lifetime plus two years, Clank." I said.

"Ratchet?" Clank said.

"It has been two years since we meet. It seems like a lifetime." I said.

"That is has been. Do you have any regrets about your decisions?" Clank said.

"Never. Do you?" I said.

"No." Clank said.

"Then let do this again." I said.

The End.