//------------------------------//
// 9: Umbris and Qwarks HQ 
// Story: Ratchet, Clank, And Spike: Journey Through The Galaxy 
// by dragonfan101 
//------------------------------//

The trio proceeded to fly through space yet again to Qwark's HQ with the coordinates he gave them. Spike was still suspicious of him as he could tell something isn't right, they soon came upon the planet called Umbris and landed on a nearby platform and got out of the ship, they were greeted by Qwark with a megaphone in a helicopter.

"Welcome to my challenge course! Now's your chance to prove yourself strong and brave like me,"  He said chuckling at the last part, but everything was so loud they could barely hear him.
" Conquer it and you'll join me in my fight against evil!" He explained.

"Haven't we done enough already?!" Ratchet shouted but things were to loud.
"Yeah seriously, we got the freaking RYNO for crying out loud!" Spike said as he pulled the thing out.

"What? I can't hear you!" He said when he actually can.
"I said haven't we done" Ratchet tried to shout again.
"Sorry, still can't hear you! Tell me later!" Qwark told them and Spike growled at that.

"Later?! We might be dead by then!" Ratchet argued.
"Your doing this on purpose aren't you?!" Spike accused.
"What?!" He asked again.

"Alright guys let's get going" Ratchet said as they saw him start to fly off.
"Is it okay if i shoot him?" Spike asked aiming the RYNO at the helicopter.
"Spike! No." Clank said stopping him.
"I know he may be a bit.. dumb but he's not evil" Ratchet said trying to reason with him, Spike sighed and put the thing away.

"Sorry, but i can swear to Celestia that he's doing this on purpose." Spike said looking at the course ahead.
"This may just be how he tests people, let's just get going." Ratchet told him.
"Alright then, let's go." Spike said as Clank went on Ratchet's back and they headed down to the course.

They started things off by simply Swingshoting they're way across a few platforms, they then used Clanks helicopter pack and Spike's robot wings to hover down to the starting point. They continued by taking down a few devices that were throwing out bombs, they then shot down some mines that homed in on them when they were close enough.

They proceeded to dodge machine gun fire that came back up after a small time after they hit it.
"What kind of obstacle course is this?! This is like we're going through a warzone!" Spike said as he smashed down the gun
" No idea, but then again, we haven't been off Veldin for a bit, so maybe this is how things are here" Ratchet said as they were crossing a bridge.

" Somethings going on with Qwark i just know it" Spike said as he pulled out his new rocket launcher and fired it, the blast was so powerful it destroyed any machine that came into contact with it surprising all of them.
"Whoa..." They all said surprised looking at the rocket launcher, Qwark was watching from ahead and gulped.
"I think i may have picked the wrong side.." Qwark said looking down a little scared.

"That thing may be stronger then the RYNO itself!" Clank said amazed.
"Who made these things?!" Ratchet asked surprised.
"I don't know.. but i feel a.. connection with these devices" Spike said looking at the swords, armor and weapon.

"Do you think they may be built by relatives?" Clank questioned as they made they're way through more.
"I don't know, i never knew my real parents,  they could have been anything, i just wished i knew why my egg was alone and found by Celestia all that time ago.." Spike said recalling what happened.
"Don't worry buddy, once drek is done with, we'll find your home and hopefully get to the bottom of this" Ratchet said as they pressed down upon 3 buttons opening a door to go further into the place.
"Thanks, hopefully this will be worth it in the end." Spike said as they continued on.

They proceeded to jump over falling platforms from a bridge they crossed, they then made they're way through a area with barbed wire while avoiding a machine gun. They used they're swingshot to make they're way over a large gap, they then made they're way through a large area and had to press on three more buttons to open a door further while avoiding gunfire.

They used they're blasters and swords to slice down more mines that came at them and press on three more buttons to open another door leading them inside.

"How many buttons are there that we need to press?" Spike asked as they went it.
"I don't know, but i hope it doesn't become tedious" Ratchet said as drained a water pool and climbed through a tunnel while monster fish were on the ground.
"You guys up for alien sushi?" Spike asked looking at the fish.
"Not now, but maybe later." Ratchet said as they took them out and they swam under a wall and entered another area, they drained the water again and used their Swingshot to travel over the gap.

They took out the monster fish in the next area they found and then used the water device to fill it up and then press down on three buttons yet again, they opened another door and then drained the area again to make they're way to the steps, they proceeded through a small cave and grabbed some extra ammo before they finally saw Qwark at the end.

"Finally! This had better be worth it" Spike said gratefully as they finished the course.
"See, that wasn't so tough now was it?" Ratchet asked as they walked in.
"Your one to talk Ratchet" Spike replied as he still felt a little tired but they soon walked up to him.

"Well, well. you three continue to surprise me" Qwark said as he walked upon a platform and went into the air.
"Alright Qwark what's this about?" Spike asked wanting to know what's going on.
"Step into the ring of heroes, and i will finally give you what you deserve!" He told them as Clank was walking up to him.

"Ratchet, Spike, this is no time to be cautious! We have reached our goal!" Clank said excitedly, Ratchet and Spike looked at eachother as they both felt something was off.
"I think Spike's been right about something now, this is too strange" Ratchet told him as he's caught on with Spike's suspicions.
"Yeah, this is his HQ?" Spike asked looking around the small place.

"Listen to your little friend Ratchet and Spike, your destiny's are mere steps away." Qwark said trying to make them come up a little.

" Why can't we stand back here just a little?" Spike asked suspicious.
"It's just something doesn't seem right" Ratchet said curious as well, but Clank ran up to them and grabbed they're hands.
"This is it, Qwark is going to help us stop Chairmen Drek!" Clank said as they stopped on a small metal platform, Qwark then smiled evilly. 

"Why thank you Clank, you have been most helpful.." Qwark said as he held out a button and pressed it, they then fell through the platform.
" I knew it!!" Spike shouted as they fell.

They then landed on the ground, but Clank floated down on them and they got mad at that.
"Get off of us you idiot!" Ratchet said mad.
"I told you something was up!" Spike said pointing at Clank mad as well. Qwark was then laughing evilly.

"I love it when a plan comes together!" Qwark said victoriously. Clank then looked confused
"What do you mean?" Clank asked.

"What do you think he means genius? He's not gonna help us, he's gonna kill us!" Ratchet told him.
"I should have seen this coming a mile away!" Spike said upset.

"You two catch on quick" Qwark said pointing at them.
"Although there is one problem with your hypothesis, i'm not going to kill you" Qwark told them.

"Your not?" Spike and Ratchet both asked confused.
"No.. he is" Qwark said pointing at the large monster from that one commercial, talk about foreshadowing.

" But why?" Clank asked betrayed.
" But why?" Qwark mocked." It's really not that difficult to decipher." Qwark began to explain.

" I'm the official Spokesmen for Drek's new Planet, i can't have you three getting in the way of my comeback!" He told them.
"Your only doing this for yourself! That's not what a real hero does! When i get my hands on you.." Spike said mad as he knows Qwark was doing this for selfish reasons which he hated big time.
"This isn't over Qwark!" Ratchet said mad.
"No.. but it will be soon" Qwark said looking at the monster and he floated away leaving them with the beast.

The monster roared at them in anger,  the monster started to walk to them created waves of fire from each step, Spike and Ratchet jumped over them and landed on a platform, Spike took out the RYNO and fired at it doing massive damage.
"I knew something was up about him, how could i have been so stupid!" Spike asked as they continued to fight the thing.
" I should have listened to you, we'll talk about this later when this thing is done with" Ratchet said as he and Spike attacked the thing more.

Spike pulled out his blades and charged at the monster in anger, the monster fired a beam nearby him which lit the ground on fire but he ran through it as he was immune to fire and lava, Spike then jumped on the monster and stabbed it in its arms and it roared in pain as it created a barrier around it and Spike jumped back down. Ratchet then noticed a nearby bridge.

"There, that thing could be unstable, let's draw him to it!" Ratchet said pointing at the thing, they proceeded to lead the monster to the bridge and like Ratchet predicted, the bridge collapsed and he fell into the lava and the barrier went down. Spike then handed Ratchet the RYNO for a bit and pulled out his special rocket launcher.

"On 3! 1,2,3!" Spike shouted as he and Ratchet took aim and fired at the thing, the combined power of the two weapons was strong enough to send the thing flying and it fell into the lava and drowned as they had defeated it. Ratchet then handed Spike the RYNO back as he was the one who got it, a door then opened behind them.

Spike sighed as he calmed down to get a hold himself as they walked up to an info bot.
" I wonder what that info bot is for?" Clank asked, but Spike and Ratchet were still mad at him.
"Maybe it can replace you." Ratchet said pointing at him, the info bot then opened and showed them a video.

They see what looks like a commander in trouble at a warzone.
" We're pinned down! We're pinned down! The ships are hammering down are positions from the air!" He explained as they could hear a loud exposition. 
"That was a little too close! We need support now!" He explained.
"Actually i need support!, my comrades went AWOL and left me to fight this war on my own!" He explained.

"If the enemy doesn't kill those guys, i will! I'm not gonna last much longer! Requesting immediate assistance! Over and out!" He shouted as the video ended. Spike was really worried for the guy as he looked in trouble, Sure he was mad at Qwark for betraying them and Clank for not realizing this, but he wasn't gonna leave another person to die, he knew Twilight would never forgive him if he did.

" Those are Drek's ships destroying that planet, we must help that poor commando!" Clank said worried, but Ratchet wasn't having it.
"Are you serious?! That's it! We're out of here! Come on Spike" Ratchet said walking to a nearby ship, Spike knew Ratchet was mad, but he didn't want to make things worse, he just hopes he can talk him down at one point.
"Captain Qwark is gonna be sorry he messed with us." Ratchet said as he took Spike's hand and walked away
" We just got betrayed by Qwark! He's the reason that planet doesn't have anyone to help it! do you think we're gonna let him get away with that?" Spike asked Clank as they walked to the ship.

"This is no longer about Qwark, there are innocent lives being lost" Clank told them, Spike sighed as he knew it was true, but he was too mad at Qwark for not wanting to be a hero for others, rather it's just for himself.
"Yeah?! Well i'm done with this stupid hero stuff! Spike and i got our own agenda now" Ratchet argued.

"Ratchet, Spike, this is not like you guys." Clank said trying to convince them.
"What do you know about us?! You don't know anything about us! All this time you've been trying to find Qwark, I promised Spike i'd help him find his home, and we've been wasting time trying to find Qwark, do you know how worried his friends could be?! We've been wasting time here instead of trying to find Spike's home like i promised." Ratchet told him.

he may be mad at both Qwark and Clank, but one of the reasons is because he knew Spike was missing from his family, and they could have using that time to find his home.

"He's right, Clank, my friends could either be in danger or extremely worried, i literally disappeared in front of them" Spike explained.
"I do know you two will do the right thing" Clank told them.
"Yeah, well the first thing we're going to do is find Qwark and then get Spike home" Ratchet said as he and Spike climbed up into the ship.

"How do you start this stupid thing?" Ratchet asked upset and Spike sighed at that.
" Have you forgotten, you two need a robotic ignition system, i will help you start the ship, if you agree to help that commando." He offered.
"Ratchet, i know your mad, i am too, but if we help that guy, we could get closer to finding Qwark and getting back at him, Twilight would never forgive me if i left that guy to die." Spike told him, Ratchet calmed down a little as he knew Spike was a good person at heart, he was too.. he's just to upset right now.
"Alright, your right on that. get in and start this ship" Ratchet told Clank as he got in and closed the hatch.

They proceeded to take off to help that Commando, Spike knew things were going to be rougher from here on for a bit, but he hoped that he would bring them back to being a team again.