As Ratchet was warped into the bowels of the station, he glanced around nervously. Something...doesn't seem right here... He would contact Clank, but he knew the little robot would already be trying to reach Twilight, away from the communications. Deciding to be on the safe side, he triggered his helmet...only to realize he couldn't open it. When he tried to speak, the synthesizers wouldn't work.
And then the cameras came down. Not good, he thought silently.
A screen dropped down, revealing Vox. "And here he is, Dreadzone fans," Vox explained magnanimously. "The vicious brute who so mercilessly slaughtered our champion...now trying to sabotage the Battledome itself. Will his lust for blood never stop?"
Ratchet growled angrily, but knew he could do nothing here. Whether he liked it or not, he had to play by the rules Vox had set up.
Vox continued his lies. "As I'm sure you've all noticed by now, loyal Dreadzone fans...this maniac has sealed you into your seats so you can't escape! And now he's going for the self destruct system of the Battledome. If he makes it, we're all dead. But I've anticipated his plans. Not only will he have to fight against the toughest robotic foes the Battledome has ever produced...but he will also have to best one last Exterminator...the strongest, toughest, most powerful Exterminator Ace Hardlight ever trained! And this Exterminator is bound and determined to avenge him...oh, I'm getting chills just thinking about it!"
As the cameras moved away, Vox leaned in. "Good luck, Ratchet," he whispered into the comms. "The timer has already started. If you don't make it to the controls in time...bye bye everyone...except me. I happen to be in a safe, remote viewing location." Cackling, Vox turned off the communication screen.
Ratchet growled to himself as he began to make his way through. Without Merc and Green backing him up, he'd have to rely on brute force to make it all the way through. He hoped he had enough weapons and ammo.
By the time Ratchet made it through the bowels, deactivating both generators along the way to free the other heroes, he was feeling quite battered. As if running low on ammo and nanotech weren't bad enough, but the entire time the announcers were going on and on about how bad he was, how he was responsible for the situation, and overall painting him to be a monster. What really confused and upset him, though, was that they never once referred to him by name. They always referred to him as 'that scoundrel' or 'Ace Hardlight's murderer', or some other horrible epitaph. It felt as though he was being slowly erased, to be replaced by the monster they were making him out to be.
Finally, he reached the control room for the self destruct system. He knew he needed to deactivate it to save the station. As he staggered in, however, three things caught his attention that made him question the situation. The first was that the controls were shielded completely, with no deactivation switch in sight. The second was that he could see nothing on the controls to indicate that they were active.
The third was the sight of the Exterminator. Even with the full body Dreadzone battle suit in the Exterminator colors, there was no mistaking that figure. "Twilight?" he tried to ask, but his words did not leave the suit. He tried to open his helmet, but it wouldn't open.
"You monster," Twilight growled as she approached, the suit around her horn focusing her magic output as she lifted numerous weaponry. "You killed my Father...and you killed Ace, who wanted to take care of me...without Daddy, there's no one left for me back in Solana...or anywhere...you've taken everything from me!"
With that last shout, she opened fire. Ratchet did his best to avoid the barrage, but there was just too much firepower. A few glancing blows hit him, and he knew he was in trouble. He knew the only way he'd survive this was if he started shooting...but that meant shooting Twilight.
"Fight back!" Twilight commanded, pulling her Omniwrench out. "You've killed so much already...surely a little pony would be nothing to you!" She seized her wrench in her forehooves. "Fight me!" She lunged in, swinging the wrench.
Desperately, Ratchet pulled his own wrench out to block the strike.
Twilight snarled. "And you took his Omniwrench!" she snapped. "Obviously for a trophy, since you didn't bother to learn to use it properly!" Taking the wrench in her magic again, she began delivering a barrage of blows which Ratchet struggled to defend against.
"Is that the best you've got?" Twilight demanded. "You're pathetic! You never would have stood a chance against Daddy or Ace in a fair fight with skills like this. You must have sabotaged them to get your victory...just as you tried to sabotage this station to kill everyone!" She leapt back, yanking out her Harbringer. "But that killing spree ends here!" Pointing it straight up, she fired off all the ammo.
Ratchet's eyes widened as he saw the targeting circles cover every square inch of ground in the arena save a tight circle around Twilight. There was no way he'd be able to position them both in the circle before the blasts came. He had a choice of pushing her out to take the blows...or taking them himself.
Oh shi- his thoughts began, only to be interrupted with agonized screams as he took several Harbringer shots unprotected. He staggered as the volley ended. I...I'm alive? he wondered. His musing was interrupted yet again as he coughed blood up into his helmet. His nanotech readout showed he had hit zero. He was dead, he just didn't know it yet. The next hit would start tearing his armor apart...tearing him apart.
Inside, he didn't care. He'd failed Twilight. He'd let her get sucked into this and twisted around until she was trying to kill him. He deserved this for failing her.
Twilight's wrench flew towards him...and to his amazement, a spin of the base caused the head to open up. An energy blade tore half the helmet off as the wrench struck him hard enough to send him spinning.
Twilight stalked towards him. "Any last words?" she asked, leveling the energy blade towards him.
Ratchet rolled over, coughing up blood as he looked into her eyes. "N...nice upgrade," he gasped out with a smile, his eyes flickering from the blade to her. "Have to show me...how it works sometime, Twi..."
Twilight's magic failed, and the wrench clattered to the floor. "D...D...Daddy?" she gasped out in shock, disbelief, and horror.
"What are you waiting for, Twilight?" Vox demanded over Twilight's comms. Ratchet was close enough he could hear it. "Avenge Ace! Finish him off!"
"But...but he's my Daddy..." Twilight whimpered.
Vox growled. "I think we have a bit of a misunderstanding...that wasn't a request!"
Twilight's collar suddenly flashed, and she shrieked in agony, staggering backwards as electricity coursed agonizingly through her body and battle suit.
"Twilight!" Ratchet screamed out, reaching desperately for her.
Shitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshit! (Says Vox)First view!
Shall I assume that something suitably grisly and unpleasant lie in Vox's future? In so far as he has one.
Damn.... This is getting intense.
wait, what!?! no!!! too short, TOO SHORT!
When Twi recovers from this, she an' Ratchet are gonna go overkill on Vox.
6358409 Which, quite honestly, Isn't all that far.
If I was Vox, I could say... "He is not your daddy, is a shapeshifter, that is how he killed the others, he try to make you think he is your daddy, kill him before he kill you"
... I think Vox is about to learn exactly how lethal Twilight can be. Between the armor she learned the limits of, the couple hundred guns she has, and her magic, there is not enough space between them both due to the simple fact that he is still in the same dimension. So, bets on how long it takes for him to run for his life?
6358440 THANK YOU!
6358504
Fifty bits on immediately after Twi gets the collar off.
Hey Vox, you sure painfully shocking the most powerful thing in the universe is a good idea, especially in front of her father?
...When you put it that way... Oh sh$%!
Where's the rapidash/angry Teilight icon when I really want it!?
Oh well, nothing for it then but...
"VOX!!! HOW DARE YOU!? HOW DARE YOU *$&@^ $&*^*! *$&!*#& *$&&#@&!!"
She doesn't recognize the armor? Perhaps it's not as distinctive as I thought. And she is a bit distracted.
And then the helmet comes off.
""What are you waiting for, Twilight?" Vox demanded over Twilight's comms. Ratchet was close enough he could hear it. "Avenge Ace! Finish him off!""
...
Well, at least you were smart enough to not be on the station. I'd point your ship in the direction of "away" and redline the engines now, though, if I were you.
Seriously.
You...
You just really have a very poor idea what motivates people, don't you? By this point, I'm thinking that a psychoanalysis of you might be pretty interesting.
Well, I hope that if Twilight is about to kill Vox that Ace and Ratchet stop her so she isn't a murderer. He's not worth it.
6358409 I think we can safely assume multiple very bad bad bad bad things are about to happen to Vox.
6358504 He's already run and is in a remote location... it's just not far enough.
Allow me to repeat myself. *inhales* VVVVVVVVOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOXXXXXXXXX!!!!
Took me some time but I read it eventually. Moar.
6358393
I can only assume that next chapter, Vox is going doooooown.
So Time for a good old fashion lynch mob? I mean Vox is asking for it.
... a Quick Death is far to nice for Vox.
6358552 ... Damnit, well, there goes the money already.
6358618 He isn't mobile, and has angered a known teleporter... Yeah, he sure is safe in a stable position, isn't he?
Lets see Clank deactivates Twi's collar. She then tp Ratchet to med bay and tp to Vox and goes Alucard with Duel Raptors or bashing with wrenches either way Vox is a smear.
Ps. Please make Vox's demise as gory and descriptive as possible.
may the death of Vox be slow and excruciatingly painful.
Vox? You dun goofed. Have fun reaping what you've sown.
Twilight will go all Nightmare again.
DAH! WHY YOU CLIFFHANGER?!
6358727 The only reason he isn't dead now is Twilight has to know where to teleport to slaughter him.
6358618 Both Twilight and Ratchet have killed. A LOT.
This is honestly a lot different than what I thought would go down.
For some reason I honestly believed that Future Twilight would recreate the time travel spell, come back to this specific moment in time with battle armor and be like, "Stop killing Dad, Vox is tricking you!" or just appear in a flash of light and wordlessly take both Ratchet's and Past Twilight's collars off.
6359110 Okay, how much you want to bet that it's his meeting room from the cutscenes, only doors closed?
I've come to a bright a easy realization, Vox is a masochist! It is the only solution.
He hurt Daddy's Little Girl in front of Daddy. He tricked Baby Girl into almost killing Daddy! He double-crossed the Anti-Hero.
He seeks the most excruciating method of death, and then make it exponentially more painful by throwing magic into the mix.
6358449 Ace already called dibs.
6359441 Vox is gonna get the Overkill of overkills!
I think of when Doflamingo was exposed in Dressrosa.
But yeah, Vox's uppance shall come...
6359186 True... but usually when they're fighting for their lives and not in cold blood.
6359317 If it is... he's got a robot double or a hologram stand in. I can't see him being on the same station as two powerful fighters he just pissed off and not having a better hole to hide in.
VOX YOU COWARD
This is too short!!
You'll rue this day, Vox! You shall not die but thou shall suffer pain until thou natural life is expended!
and twilight is going to flip her shit in 3...2....1....
also vox why would you fuck with a creature that can BOIL!!!! planets
6358691 You know what they say, the bigger you are, the harder you fall.
Son of a bitch... Nice play though. Reminds me of some cheezy chick flick I watched with my girlfriend... Meh.
You know, I'm not even going to post the counter. Vox just sealed his fate, and we can just sit back and watch. Tatsurou, pass the popcorn please.
Uau, this is going better then the way I thinki it was going. Keep the good work, and since everyone is doing, why not?
Vox, you are soooo dead. See you in next life, Bitch.
6358465 DONT GIVE THE AUTHOR IDEAS!!!!!!!!!
Tats, please ignore this commenter unless you want ratchet deader than last year's news.
6359492 in his case I think Ratchet and Twilight are gonna follow one of my favorite policies: there's no such thing as overkill!
Vox......
you... will.... NOT GET AWAY WITH THIS!!!!
*starts breaking the fourth wall down with everything i have*
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6363208
As the 70 Maxims for Highly Effective Mercenaries says, "There is no overkill. There is only 'Open fire!' and 'Time to reload.'"
.............................
................................
...................................Vox, there are no words that can describe the SUFFERING that I will put you through after Twi and Ratchet are done with you.
You Can Run
You Can Hide
You Can Try To Dissapear
But There Is Nowhere You Can Hide Or Nothing You Could Do To Stop Me
I WILL FIND YOU
Vox............
DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
6369624
Well.. Mr Vox, you've just made things VERY VERY SIMPLE... Twilight will find you, and eather kill you very very very slowly... or forgive you, but thats if her Daddy survives, and if Tia frobids, she dies.. half the Universe will be after your blood, so I suggest this
RUN! or FACE YOUR DEATH WITH DIGNITY, Mr Vox!!