"Please... be careful."
In the bustling city of Metropolis, a young female cat-like creature lowers her ears as her mate gently holds her hands and kisses her lips. He pulls away and gently runs his hand along his mate's cheek.
"You know me, honey... I'll be fine. Besides, it's just like every other mission that me and Clank do!"
The young female, named Xennah, pleads and holds her mate's hands.
"But, Ratchet... there must be at least a hundred of them out there!"
The young male lowers his ears and gently caresses her cheek.
"Don't worry, sweetheart... the invasion is in a small area of the city and the citizens have already been evacuated. You and the others will be fine as long as you stay within the area."
Xennah lowers her head and then looks over to her small robotic friend, trying to get her to convince Ratchet to reconsider. The robotic female shakes her head.
"I am sorry, Xennah. But I fear that Ratchet and Clank are the only ones who will be able to perform this mission. You are pregnant so you will not be able to assist and I must stay here and protect you."
"But Izzy, you don't understa--!"
All of a sudden a beeping sound is heard and the young male, named Ratchet, takes out a small device from his pocket.
He presses a button on it and listens.
"Ratchet! Clank! We're being attacked from all over the place! Please, help us!"
Ratchet looks over to Clank and watches as he looks to the communicator and then up at him.
"The Rangers... they need our help."
Clank nods and soon starts to run towards the ship. The young female robot, named Izzy, looks back at Ratchet and Xennah before running over to Clank.
She holds out her hands and produces balls of Zoni energy, which she uses in order to power up Ratchet's ship. The ship soon powers up and Clank opens the door before climbing into the ship and smiling down at Izzy.
"Thank you, Isabelle."
Isabelle nods and soon levitates to Clank's position. Clank looks up curiously and feels his cheek bolts light up as Isabelle embraces him.
"Please, Clank... protect yourself and Ratchet. I have a feeling that this mission will be more dangerous than our previous ones."
Clank smiles and nods.
"Do not worry... me and Ratchet will return."
Isabelle smiles and nods before looking back at Ratchet and Xennah.
Ratchet gently kisses Xennah's tummy and gently rubs it with his hands whilst smiling down at it.
"Wait for my return, little one..."
Xennah smiles and looks up as Ratchet runs over to the ship and jumps inside.
"Ya ready, pal?"
Clank nods and quickly starts to press various buttons on the dashboard.
"Affirmative. Thrust Boosters are online and the Navigation System is set to our required destination."
Ratchet nods and turns on the engines before hovering above the ground.
"Don't worry, girls... we'll be back soon!"
Isabelle and Xennah both nod and wave as they take off into the air.
Xennah sighs sadly and lays down on the couch before placing her hands on her tummy. She soon gasps as the baby kicks and smiles down.
"Don't worry, little one... daddy will be ok."
Isabelle smiles as she places a hand on Xennah's belly.
"I suggest that you rest, Xennah... you must be tired."
Xennah smiles and nods as she places her hands on her belly. She slowly begins to drift off to sleep and Isabelle smiles as she sits down, watching over her. Izzy soon picks up a book and begins to read.
-------------------------------
"Clank, watch out!"
Clank turns around and jumps out of the way of an incoming missile. Ratchet grabs him and watches as he jumps onto his back.
"Ratchet, I do not know how much longer we can keep this up."
"I know, Clank... but we have to try. The whole city will be destroyed if we don't!"
Ratchet looks around and smirks as he spots one of the robots drop a gun. He runs over and grabs it before aiming and firing at a nearby enemy.
"Gotcha!"
Clank soon finds a nearby computer and begins to hack into it.
"If I can make this work, the robots should all be magnetised to this MagBooster."
Ratchet nods as he continues to fire the gun at the remaining robots. He runs off towards a nearby wall and hides behind it.
"I hope Xennah's ok..."
"Ahhh!"
Isabelle puts her book down and looks over, noticing Xennah wake up quickly.
"Xennah, are you alright?"
"I... I d-don't kno-- AHHH!!"
Izzy levitates over to Xennah and holds her hand.
"Do not worry, Xennah. I will call Ratchet."
Xennah smiles weakly and nods before gripping onto her bed and yelling in pain.
"AHHH, RATCHET!!"
Izzy grabs her communicator and calls Ratchet.
"Ratchet? Are you there?"
Ratchet feels his ear twitch and soon picks up his communicator. He overhears Xennah yelling in the background and lowers his ears.
"Izzy! What's going on?!"
"It is Xennah, I fear that she is going into labour."
Xennah groans and reaches her hand out to the communicator. Izzy hands it to her and steps back, giving her some room.
"R-Ratchet!! H-help me!!!"
Ratchet lowers his ears and holds the communicator close, hearing Xennah's plea.
"Xennah... don't worry, I'm coming!"
Izzy takes the communicator and speaks into it.
"Do not worry, Ratchet. I will call a doctor for assistance."
Ratchet nods and hangs up the communicator. Clank soon yelps as a robot shoots a missile towards them. Ratchet easily dodges and runs back to his ship. Clank looks back to the crowd of Rangers attacking the enemy robots.
"Ratchet, what about the Rangers?"
The young lombax picks up his communicator from his pocket.
"Don't worry, Clank... I have a plan. All Rangers, fall back to Metropolis! We can cut 'em off!"
"Copy that, Ratchet!"
"That's a 10-4, sir!"
"Alright men, move, move!"
Ratchet and Clank get into the ship and soon notice the Rangers fleeing the scene. Ratchet saultes them all before taking off.
"Aphelion! Get us back to Metropolis as quickly as you can!"
"Yes, sir... we shall take a shortcut."
Ratchet looks down at his communicator.
"I just hope we'll make it in time..."
-----------------------
"AHHHH!!!"
Isabelle continues to hold Xennah's hand and attempts to calm her down.
"Do not worry, Xennah. Ratchet will be back soon."
Xennah pants and soon starts to squeeze Izzy's hand tighter as she begins having contractions. Xennah soon looks up and notices a doctor run into the room, protected by two of the Rangers. She reaches her hand out.
"P-please... M-MAKE IT STOP!!!"
The doctor puts down her medical bag and gently takes her other hand, rubbing it softly. The Rangers nod before answering their communicators. They cock their guns and run out of the room, towards the outside of the building.
"Don't worry, Miss Xennah, I am here to help you."
Xennah smiles weakly and nods.
"T-thank you..."
Xennah and Izzy watch as the doctor begins to unpack her bag. She takes out a blanket and lifts Xennah's legs before sliding it underneath her. She then slowly pulls down Xennah's underwear before placing them on the side of her bed.
Xennah groans and grits her teeth as her contractions become more consistent. She yells out in pain and pants rapidly as a contraction hits her hard. The doctor gently opens her legs and looks underneath the blanket.
"I'm afraid you are still quite a bit behind... but don't worry, everything will be alright."
Xennah lowers her ears and nods, feeling herself tear up a little. Izzy levitates to her face level and gently rubs her ear in order to try and calm her down. The doctor places a hand on her head and continues to look at her birth canal.
"Ok Xennah, breathe!"
"I AM BREATHING!!! AHHHH!!"
-----------------------------
"Approaching Metropolis."
"Ratchet, look!"
Back in Metropolis, the young lombax looks ahead from his ship's window and gasps.
"No way..."
Right ahead of Ratchet and Clank was a whole army of enemy robots. They were surrounding an area near Ratchet and Xennah's apartment.
"What do we do, Ratchet?"
"We're gonna have to push through, pal. I HAVE to get to Xennah..."
"I understand."
Clank watches as Ratchet picks up the communicator.
"Sasha, come in!"
A young female cazar quickly picks up her communicator.
"Read you loud and clear, Ratchet!"
"I need your help. I'm in Metropolis and Xennah's gone into labour. I need to find a way to get through these robots!"
Sasha nods and soon contacts the Rangers.
"Rangers! Part the middle, Ratchet needs to get through!"
"Copy that, m'am! Rangers, pull apart!"
Ratchet and Clank watch nervously as the Rangers part the way. Ratchet pilots the ship through the gap and stops near the apartment before getting out and running towards the door.
-----------------------------
A few hours of labour pass by in the apartment and the doctor smiles up at Xennah as she finally spots the baby showing from Xennah's birth canal.
"You're doing great, Xennah. The baby is starting to show!"
Xennah looks down and smiles weakly, feeling the baby getting closer to her entrance.
"T-the baby... is a-almost here?"
The young doctor smiles and nods.
"Yes, but you will have to give it one more push... this will have to be a big one!"
The young lombax lowers her ears and grits her teeth as she pushes hard. She screams in pain and soon gasps as a loud crying sound can be heard.
Isabelle levitates over to the doctor and smiles widely as she notices a tiny lombax in her arms.
"The baby is here, Xennah."
"Congratulations, it's a boy!"
Xennah smiles weakly and reaches her hands out.
"A b-boy?"
The nurse smiles and nods as she cuts the cord and carries the baby lombax over to a changing table.
-------------------------
"Xennah! Are you alri--?"
The young female and Isabelle both look to the door, noticing Ratchet and Clank come in. Xennah smiles and nods as Ratchet looks towards the doctor. The doctor smiles and looks down at the baby.
"You are just in time, Ratchet. Your baby has just arrived..."
Ratchet soon looks down at the changing mat and notices a little lombax crying and kicking his feet. He walks over and looks down at the newborn's lower region. He soon smiles as he notices something familiar and looks up at the doctor.
"It's... a boy?"
The doctor does a small giggle and nods as Ratchet gently tickles his tummy with his finger.
"Yes... he is a very healthy boy too."
The baby lombax soon whimpers and gently grasps Ratchet's finger with his hand. Ratchet smiles down at him and feels a tear come to his eye. Clank climbs onto Ratchet's shoulder and smiles down at the baby.
"He's... so tiny and... perfect."
Xennah smiles and sighs, closing her eyes. Ratchet smiles and stands in front of the changing table. He picks up a diaper and puts it on the little boy before wrapping him in a blanket and picking him up gently.
"I think it's time to go and see your mommy... she's been so brave through the whole thing."
Xennah soon opens her eyes and giggles as the baby lombax makes a small squeaking noise. Ratchet chuckles as he walks over and hands the baby to Xennah.
Xennah looks down at the infant in her arms and gently kisses his head.
"Oh Ratchet, he's so beautiful."
"He sure is..."
Izzy sits on Xennah's shoulder and smiles down at the baby.
"I think he will be a hero someday, just like Rachet."
Ratchet smiles from the compliment and kisses the baby's cheek before looking up at Izzy and whispering.
"I think he will be one too, Izzy..."
Xennah smiles as she kisses Ratchet and looks down at the little baby lombax, who was now sobbing a bit and rubbing his eyes with his tiny hands. She lowers her ears a bit and gently rocks the little lombax in her arms.
"Aww... are you hungry, sweetheart?"
The baby soon lowers his ears and begins to cry out, feeling hungry. The doctor smiles and walks towards the door before looking back.
"I'll leave you all alone."
Ratchet and Xennah both smile up at the doctor and thank her before watching her leave and close the door behind her.
Xennah smiles down at the little lombax in her arms as he begins to nurse. Izzy stands upon Xennah's shoulder and smiles down as the little boy nurses.
"So, this is how organic lifeform children feed..."
Xennah smiles up at Izzy and gently holds the little boy's hand into her own.
"Yes... all of us females have milk which is important to feed babies with."
"It gives them nutrients?"
Xennah was about to answer but she soon hears the little baby let out a small burp. She giggles and turns to Ratchet, who was chuckling.
"Sure is a hungry little guy..."
Xennah giggles once again as she looks down at the little boy, who had now stopped feeding. He whines a bit as he feels the need to burp once again. Xennah gently rubs the little boy's back, waiting for him to burp.
"Yep. And yes, Izzy... the milk will make our little one grow stronger muscles."
The little boy soon lets out a small burp and Xennah giggles.
"Good job, sweetie~!"
Izzy giggles also and hovers down to the baby, admiring his patterns. The little boy had dark golden fur, little orange-coloured stripes on his ears and a little tuft of pale ginger hair.
He had single stripes on his cheeks, which Ratchet noticed was a genetic trait from his father, Kaden. He also had dark emerald-coloured eyes.
Clank, who was stood on Ratchet's shoulder, smiles down at the little lombax too and watches as he yawns a bit.
"Those stripes... they look a lot like your father's, Ratchet."
Ratchet smiles as he notices the little boy's stripes and gently rubs his hand against the baby's cheek. The little boy squeaks a bit and soon yawns once again before closing his eyes.
"They sure do, Clank..."
The little boy coos and soon begins to suck his thumb as he begins to sleep in Xennah's arms. Xennah smiles and kisses the little boy's head as she holds him close to her chest. She then looks up at Ratchet and wags her tail a bit.
"What should we call our little angel, Ratchet?"
Ratchet smiles and wags his tail a bit as he looks down at the little baby. He then gently takes him into his arms and holds him close to his chest. He then leans down to Xennah's level and whispers.
<i>"I think we should name him what we originally wanted to name him..."</i>
"You mean, Nyxon?"
Ratchet smiles and nods as he looks down at the little lombax.
"Yeah, I think it suits him..."
Izzy, Clank and Xennah smile at each other and watch as Ratchet kisses the baby's cheek and whispers to him.
"Welcome to Metropolis, Nyxon..."
