PALE GREEN STARS (RATCHET X OC)

HEATHENS

Chapter 22~ Heathens

The air became thick as the robots pulled us to our feet when the others busted in blasters raised and ready to fire.

Gears didn't even look fazed as she scanned the room. Snapping her fingers her dancers twirled Ratchet and me around to face the line of fire.

"I'd be careful. Otherwise, Ratchet and the female get it." Flynn growled raising his fists to her. "Wanna bet Pop Princess?" He said taking a step, but his nerves betrayed him quickly when we heard Harlequin cackle.

"Go on then Little Kitty Cat. Please ...I dare you." Her voice became deadly but I couldn't see what she was doing.

Whatever it was made Flynn's amber eyes go wide filled with fear as he backed off.

"Now then if you'd please lower your guns we'll be on our way."

"Don't let her take the Dimensionator!" I shouted. Hearing a tsk and another snap of fingers the pirates took me further away from the others and closer to Gears and Quin holding a blaster to my head.

"I'd get busy if I were ye," Quin warned her soulless eyes glowing slightly.

One by one each lowered their weapon with a troubled look on their face.

"We need a distraction." I thought, but then I noticed something. Where was Clank?

CLANK

In all the commotion Clank, as quietly as he could, slipped away behind the Alister Azimuth Statue.

Courtney Gears and Captain Scarlet Harlequin weren't going to give up so easily. He needed a way to create a diversion long enough for both Ratchet and Miss Roslyn to escape, but how.

He thought about running to Samus or Aphelion but he feared it would take too long. Even if he contacted Samus he knew she wouldn't take it lightly. And there was the fact that she was also a Dimensionator. If either one of the villains caught wind of it things would go from bad to worse.

It was then Clank noticed a fire alarm 5 feet above him.

It was childish and probably not the best plan he had come up with, but if his calculations weren't wrong it was the best chance they had.

He climbed up the statue as best as could unnoticed hearing Miss Roslyn shout to the others. He stopped long enough to watch them bring her closer to Harlequin. Ratchet was struggling with anger clearly on his expression. The Captain's golden eyes scanned the room as she warned the others. Miss Roslyn however seemed to be perplexed as she scanned the room looking for something. It was then her eyes met Clanks and then noticed what was behind him.

The fire alarm sounded and the sprinklers turned on. I dogged the first of many blaster bullets causing the pirate holding me to get shot. Taking his blaster I gun down the dancers surrounding Ratchet so he could escape. I aimed the blaster behind Gears as the alarm came to an abrupt stop.

Harlequin's eyes steady on me as her double-barreled constructo shotgun was aimed at the destroyed alarm. Her smile was still etched on her face as she pointed her gun at me.

"Lower tha gun pet." She said

I glared keeping my aim steady.  I wasn't going to back down, not against her. 

"Drop the dimensionator first."

She chuckled lowering her gun.

"I do like that fire ye eyes. It's not like anything else I've eva seen. However, I don't like to lose."

She whistled and for a moment nothing happened.

Until we heard the glass shatter from harpoons shooting from her ship to dock itself closer to the edge of the museum. The side of the ship opened as the gangway lowered to the floor revealing six more pirates with two hostages.

One I recognized as an older Markazian while the other creature encased in a floating box I couldn't place his species, but it seemed the others knew of him and the Markazian.

"Max Apogee!?" Ratchet exclaimed.

"Father!?" Orvus called out.

They looked up but Apogee's mouth was covered and Clank's father's voice was muffled by the box.  Harlequin smirked as the one pirate raised his blaster against Max's temple while the other held a taser scabbard dangerously close to the box.

"Lower yer weapons." She ordered and this time no one hesitated. All except for me.

I kept my gaze steady on Harlequin pressing my blaster against Gear's frame close enough to her core. Gears didn't say anything, but her gasp was enough to prove to me she was beginning to grow nervous.

"No," I growled.

"Roslyn stand down!" I heard Ratchet yell, but I didn't acknowledge him.

Harlequin laughed maniacally as she raised her gun.

"Ye think I'm joking little pet. All I have to do is snap me fingers and those two are dead. D.E.A.D and guess whose fault it'll be. So I ask you again." Her cold voice dripped with venom as she cocked her blaster.

"Lower. Your. Weapon."

"Roslyn! If you don't lower your weapon you will be arrested for resisting orders from a galactic official." Sasha roared.  I wanted to bite back at her.  It wasn't like I cared what happened to me. But, when I looked over my shoulder Ratchet, stood their eyes pleading with me to corporate. I sighed angrily before beginning to lower my weapon.

"That's right little wench. Lower that little toy and let the adults negotiate."

"Negotiate?" I thought and then I smirked.

"You do know that the technology on that thing is so outdated." I began slowly but surely walking closer to Apogee and Clank's father.

"Who cares if it's outdated. It'll still work." Gears said relaxing a little.

"You sure about that? I mean why would they leave something as dangerous as the dimensionator. The very technology that ended the Great War of the Polaris Galaxy up for grabs for any goon that may want to steal it."

"Even if it is broken it's still worth a few gold bolts," Harlequin said stalking closer to me.

"True but you're looking at a scientist who used to work for the Advanced Lombax Research Facility and I have to tell yah I've invented some things you wouldn't believe. In fact, I've even built an updated version of the Dimensionator that'll put that thing in your arms to shame." I said pointing at the Dimensionator in Gear's arms again.

"Oh really?" Harlequin laughed.

"Really," I said disappearing and reappearing behind the pirates holding the hostages throwing a Grav-bomb in the air propelling them into the air.

Releasing the hostages they run the others for safety as I raise my blaster at Harlequin.

"Your move Captain Clown," I said.

She smirked before shooting the latch holding the gangway in its place causing myself and the pirates to fall towards our deaths as she and Gears escaped back onto the ship with the Dimensionator in tow.