Author's Note: Well, this was the second story I wrote for my friend. I like it, it was fun, but it has no canon-possibilities so it was a bit of a challenge. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Jak games, Naughty Dog does.
Under the Circumstances
It was total chaos in Haven City.
Fire rained from the sky, taking all kinds of debris with it as it smashed into the ground below. Entire buildings toppled over and smashed into zoomers, trees, and whole groups of people.
"Evacuate, quickly! Get to a safe place!" Freedom Guards shouted as they tried to run out of the way of falling matter themselves.
Meanwhile Jak, the local hero, and his best friend Daxter were in a Freedom Guard zoomer, blasting through falling debris with the vehicle's weaponry and steering like maniacs through the fire.
They persevered until they reached headquarters, at which they jumped out of the zoomer, Daxter scrambling onto Jak's shoulder pad, and Jak rushing through the door.
They waited on the shaking elevator anxiously and finally jogged out of it into the control center. Jak spun around quickly, looking for any of his allies and friends. No one was there.
"This was the meeting place, right Jak?" Daxter asked in concern. Jak nodded slowly, closing his eyes and leaning onto the central hub.
"Where are they?" He whispered to himself.
Keira pulled up hard on the zoomer's controls, steering it in a sharp right to avoid a section of the stadium that had just fallen towards her. She saw people running, screaming at the top of their lungs; complete pandemonium.
The Freedom Guard radio buzzed on. The signal was faded, but still audible.
"Metal Heads -- East side of the city -- Krimson Bots -- Get to headquarters!"
The radio fizzed out, and Keira shut it off hastily, returning her focus to the controls just in time to avoid a burning zoomer.
"This is bad…" She said, examining the carnage around her.
She turned into the Industrial Section, and began to head towards New Haven City. Suddenly, a Metal Head jumped out in front of her; making her haul the zoomer upwards and to the side, then gun it in the opposite direction in one quick, not-so-fluid movement.
She looked over her shoulder for a moment, and she certainly did not like what she saw. Metal Heads and Krimson Bots had apparently already flooded the Industrial Section by the time she had gotten there, and had killed all but their own forces.
Upon seeing her, they had all been alerted. What this all sums up to is that the blue-green haired woman now had a hundred or more Bots and Metal Heads after her, and coming up fast. She swerved to avoid yellowish claws that had almost dragged themselves across her face.
She blindly headed in the direction with the least of them, which ended her up in the Port. She quickly switched to a higher fly-zone and shot out over the water. The flying enemies were the only ones able to follow her, and she could see the rest reeking havoc on the Port.
She kicked up the zoomer to full speed and headed towards the Naughty Ottsel, which had been shut down from all activity long ago when the Hora Quan overran it.
Keira aimed the vehicle straight at the front doors. The Bots and Metal Heads had no registry of the solid matter, so as she neared dangerously close to the door and pulled up sharply, abandoning the zoomer in mid-air, they slammed into the front of the bar with full force, breaking and splattering.
Keira hit the ground running as she headed towards the back entrance she had used many-a-time for free entry with Jak. She ripped out her old key and jammed it into the keyhole frantically; she could hear her rivals only a foot or two behind her.
She practically jumped inside, and then proceeded to slam the door right on a Krimson Bot's robotic leg. It severed with an electric hiss, and then ceased to move.
She quickly bolted the door, locked it, and then shoved box after box of old beer and other supplies behind the door. She could still hear their grunts and roars of anger as she leaned against the opposite wall of the Naughty Ottsel's storeroom, panting heavily.
After she had caught her breath and her senses, Keira looked around for a weapon. He saw miscellaneous things she could use if the need presented itself, but she continued to search for what she knew was there.
Ahh, there it was. A large crate full to the brim with weaponry was finally visible after some rearranging had been done, and Keira pried it open with a crowbar that had been hanging on the wall.
"That's more like it." She said quietly, staring at the guns, pistols, machine guns, ammunition, bombs, grenades, and even some strange things she didn't even know the use of.
She helped herself, grabbing out two pistols and their holsters and fastening them to her waist comfortably. She then took about ten grenades and a pouch, filling it with them and adding that to her waist.
The green-eyed mechanic considered grabbing out a machine gun, half out of extra caution and half out of morbid curiosity, but she decided against it. Baby steps.
She proceeded to remove one of the pistols from its holster and move slowly towards the door to the bar, suspecting that there would still be some foes left in there.
She leaned against the wall to the side of the door and opened it quickly, pushing it to the side so that the doorway was open and she was still shielded.
She flipped into the opening now, pointing the gun stiffly and aiming it around the room slowly, scoping out the place cautiously.
After she had made certain that she was the only one in the bar, she went to work bolting and covering the front door. Lock, lock, bolt, bar, cover.
"There." She said, backing away and admiring her work. She walked back over to the bar, putting her gun back in its holster.
"I think I deserve one of these." She said as she poured herself a shot of whiskey. She raised it to her lips and sighed, knocking it back.
Just as she did this, she felt a hand grip her leg tightly. She spit out the alcohol and pulled her gun quickly, turning towards the hand.
She pressed the metal weapon against the forehead of its owner in a hurry before she realized who it was.
"Torn?"
"And I've been hiding out here since early last night, when the attack began." He said, finishing his story. Keira nodded, pouring them both glasses of water.
"I'm going to find some gauze and something to use as a splint, alright?"
Torn nodded, wincing as he tried to situate himself more comfortably. His leg was broken and he had a concussion on his head from where he had taken a metallic punch from a KG Bot. He was bleeding in various other places, varying in severity.
Keira returned a few minutes later with a roll of bandages and a pipe. She knelt down next to him with her glass of water and a towel, cleaning off his head and his other wounds.
"I found some new clothes for you too. You can get changed after I dress these." She said, patting a long cut on his arm before ringing out the rag in the sink and wetting it again with clean water.
After she had bandaged him completely, it was time to attend to his leg.
"Bite this." She said, handing him a clean rag with a sorrowful look. He did so, knowing this was going to hurt. "Hang on torn, I'm going to try to go as fast as I can, alright?"
Torn nodded, an apathetic look on his face. She squinted at the wound and grabbed his leg in the appropriate places. She took a deep breath, as did he, and she began to move his leg to the appropriate position, receiving a groan of pain from Torn.
She continued to move it and grabbed the pipe, positioning it under his leg and getting the tape to apply to his leg. He grasped the sides of the bar, screaming into the rag as she pressed his leg to the pipe.
"Done." She said, washing her hands and then patting his leg gently clean of any blood.
"Thanks." He breathed as he spit out the towel and panted.
"I'm sorry about the--" She trailed off with a laugh as she gestured towards her gun.
"It's alright; I would've done the same with all these damn Metal Heads running around."
She nodded, standing and helping Torn up. He limped over to one of the booths and sat there with his back against the far wall and his bad leg lying on the booth. Keira went to fetch his change of clothes, and returned.
He nodded his thanks as she set them onto the table. She went over to the bar, trying to look busy and avert her eyes from him.
He tried to stand, and she could hear his grunting from the effort. After a while, he paused, sighing. "Can I get some help?"
She blushed and nodded. "Yeah, sorry about that." She went over to him and timidly pulled off his shirt, not being able to help looking over his various tattoos.
"Lot of ink, eh?" He said with a small laugh as he held up his arms. She threw aside the ripped, bloody shirt and frowned as she re-examined his chest.
She went and got the water, rag, and bandages once more.
"Why didn't you tell me you were injured here too?" She said, frustrated as her embarrassment washed away and concern replaced it.
"Because I didn't think you'd be comfortable…" He said, trailing off.
She sighed. "It's doesn't matter, you could bleed to death. I'll have to check under your pants when I change those, too."
He looked away as a small blush crept over his cheeks. I never knew Keira was so… pushy.
She cleaned him off gently and dressed him in a large, white tunic after she had applied bandages. She then pulled off his pants, the indecency not registering with the concerned mechanic.
She found a variety of cuts there, too, and cleaned and dressed them accordingly. She removed his pants very slowly from his wounded leg, and felt bad when he hissed. She put on a pair of loose white pants and then found a bet for him so they wouldn't fall down.
"There, now that wasn't too bad." She said as she sat down across from him with a smile.
He let out a small chuckle. "I'm not used to other people taking care of me… thanks."
"It's no hassle; I'm used to dressing Jak's wounds." She gasped as she said this. "Jak!"
She jumped up, feeling for her radio. "Damn!" It was gone; fell out when she jumped off the zoomer.
"I'm sure he's fine, Jak can most certainly take care of himself." Torn said, laughing. "He's probably at headquarters with Ashlien, Samos, Sig, and the rat."
Keira sat back down slowly. "You're probably right, but I doubt I'll be able to stop worrying about him."
She sighed and got up, going to the back room. "I'm going to find you some blankets, okay?"
The ex-Krimson Guard scoffed. "Women…"
Keira was awoken in the middle of the night by the sound of grunts. She turned over on the floor, feeling every bump and groove in the floor through the thin blanket she was sleeping on.
"Torn?" She asked into the darkness where the booth where he slept was.
No answer. Only more heavy breathing. She got up, concerned, and went over to him. She groped for his shoulder and found it, shaking him awake lightly.
"Torn, wake up." She said a little louder. He shot awake, grasping her neck with his strong hands as he did. She cried out and her hands flew to try to pry away his. No use, it was pitch black in the tavern, and he probably thought she was an enemy after whatever nightmare he had just awoken from.
"Torn…" She choked out, and she could barely see his eyes widen.
"Keira!" He yelled as he released his grip on her and she fell to the ground coughing. "Keira, I'm so sorry, are you alright?"
She mustered a nod, trusting him to be able to see it well enough to understand.
He tried to reach for her to make sure, and she grabbed his hand, letting him help her up.
"It's alright, you were having a nightmare." She said hoarsely, rubbing her throat. She let out a raspy laugh. "Payback for the gun."
He shook his head, but couldn't manage a laugh. After a while of silence, he spoke up.
"I've been having those nightmares for years, ever since I got out of the KG. I'm sorry you had to be here when I woke up."
She reached out and put her hand on his. "It's alright, really."
This time he smiled back at her, and her eyes were adjusted enough to be able to see it better.
"You'd better get some more sleep." She said, standing up and lying back down a foot or two away at her bed. Torn nodded.
"Goodnight." He said to her softly.
"Mhm…" Keira mumbled, sleep taking her almost immediately.
When Torn awoke the next morning, the first thing he saw was Keira sitting near him on the floor, spooning out beans from a can.
"That looks like utter crap." He said, sitting up a little more and adjusting his bad leg.
She smiled and looked up at him, brushing off his comment.
"Hungry?" She said cheerily, holding out the spoon.
"Yeah, but not for that. We got anything else?"
"Well Mr. Picky, we have beans in a can, peas in a can," She paused, looking at a faded label closely. "Or beer nuts. Take your choose."
Torn sighed and glared at the metallic cans. "Fine, I'll take the beans."
She giggled and picked up a curved dagger that she plunged into the can and worked around the edge, then hanging the can with a fork in it to Torn.
"Keira… tell me that's not my dagger." Torn said menacingly.
Keira looked up from running her tongue along the blade to remove bean sauce.
"Fine, then I won't tell you." She said sassily, continuing to clean it off with the bottom of her shirt and handing it back to Torn, blade second.
He snatched it away, glaring at her before sheathing it and staring at the can of murky beans. He sighed and picked up the fork, eating slowly.
"Great aren't they?" Keira said, a beaming smile on her face.
Torn nodded. "Yeah, something like that alright."
They continued to eat, Keira devouring her can and going to open another, then rethinking.
"Only eat one, alright? I don't know how long we'll be stuck in here, so let's make our provisions last."
Torn grunted, eating another bite from his almost-full can. "I don't think that'll be a problem…"
Keira laughed and got up, going to put the food under the bar counter.
Is it just me, or is Keira more attractive, and not to mention tougher than she used to be?
Two weeks had passed.
They were running low on food, medical supplies, and hope.
"Torn, do you think we'll ever get out of here?" Keira asked despondently as she leaned up against the booth opposite him in the same fashion he was. Her eyes were empty, her hands lie limp at her sides, her lips quivered at times, but she would allow no tears to fall.
Torn said nothing for a long time. Truthfully, he didn't.
They had been here for a long time. He could limp again on his leg, but he knew his cuts and gashes would become infected if they ran out of medical supplies and he would die. Or they would run out of food sooner… or their enemies would break through their makeshift barriers. But you never tell someone when you thought they did horrible on a test, or in a game. Same prospect applies here.
"Of course we will, Keira. We're going to get out, and when we do, we'll meet up with the others and fight this." He said confidently, but quietly. He reached his hand over and placed it on her smaller one. "I'm here for you."
She smiled at his gesture and blushed, looking down and away from his brown eyes. The green-eyes girl nodded slowly, but she was smarter than that. They kept an air of hope around them for the sake of their sanity, but they both knew that it was a very slim chance that they would both survive.
Kiera's stomach grumbled, and as if on cue, Torn's did right after. They both tried to force their hunger down for the sake of conserving the food, but it was useless.
"I'll get the beans." Keira said, sliding off the booth and walking into the storeroom. Torn heard rustling and banging, and he called to Keira, thinking she had dropped something.
"Everything alright in there?" He called to her. No response. He scooted off the bench a bit, putting light pressure on his good leg. "Keira?"
He stood up and grabbed the crutches Keira had constructed for him. He used them to maneuver over to the storeroom door and open it the rest of the way, looking inside. He gasped when he saw Keira on the ground, a bruise already forming on her temple.
"Keira!" He called, slowly and carefully lowering himself down to her level. She groggily gave an answer, which told him it was a concussion. He grabbed a rag and patted the blood from her head, elevating it onto his knee.
"What happened?" He asked quietly, getting read to stand, then find a way to move her out of the room. When he was halfway up himself, he saw something across the room. It was a small creature, hiding and shaking in between old beer bottles.
"What in the… where did you come from?" Torn said, leaning in a bit to get a closer look. It peered at him, and then poked its head out a little farther, revealing a shining yellow crystal in its skull.
"A Metal-" It sprung. Screeching and blaring, it jumped from across the room at torn, and he was knocked backwards, falling painfully onto his bad leg. He yelled out, swinging his arms to try to stop the small Metal Head from cutting him with its sharp talons.
"Get the hell off!" He yelled, finally grabbing it by its neck and taking out his dagger in one swift motion, stabbing it through the heart. He ripped out his blade and threw the frantic screaming beast across the room, straightening himself so he wasn't on his leg.
He breathed in heavily, looking at Keira's stirring form.
"Keira, did you see-" He trailed off, hearing a sound from outside. Rumbling and the floor was shaking. His eyes widened, and he picked up Keira.
"We have to go into the cellar now!" He shouted, trying to rouse her. She opened her eyes and struggled to keep them as such with difficulty, looking at up him, then to the shaking boxes and shelves.
"What the hell?" She asked groggily.
"No time, let's move!" He got himself up, using both crutches in one hand to help both of them along. Keira's legs remembered they needed to move, and she began limping over to the bar counter as Torn barred the storeroom door from inside the bar.
"What are you doing? We have to get downstairs!" He yelled, seeing Keira scrambling beneath the bar counter. She emerged again, carrying their last bits of food and medicine, with water jugs they had filled earlier in the week.
"Come on." She said, opening the trap door in the floor, under the rug by the front door. She climbed down herself, set their provisions down, and then helped Torn down. She cried out.
"Go ahead, I forgot something." She said hurriedly, heaving herself up and out of the hole. Torn began to protest, then trusted her and picked up as many things as he could and began to travel down the tunnel that lead to the cellar, and safe haven.
Keira, meanwhile, went to the bar counter once more, and picked up the guns, grenades, and the rifle she had gone back and gotten later.
She ran back over to the door and let the weapons fall down into the tunnel, jumped down herself, and dragged the rug over the top of the opening. She pulled down the heavy hatch and sealed it again before picking up her guns and the provisions Torn couldn't carry, and then ran.
"Do you think they've broken through to the bar yet?" Keira said, barely above a whisper. Torn shook his head.
"We'll hear it." He breathed back, readjusting his leg carefully.
Keira shivered, partly from fear, and partly because the cellar was damp and chilly. Torn saw it and instinctively wrapped his arm around her. She blushed, but then she leaned her head down onto his shoulder and felt the cold melt away.
"It's gonna be okay Keira, I promise." He whispered, rubbing her arm slowly to warm her further. She nodded, surprised at how safe she suddenly felt in his arms. Keira's mind, for those few golden minutes, shut out all the despondency and depression, the fear and the awareness that they were on borrowed time. All she knew right then was Torn.
His embrace, his scent, his fingertips rubbing slowly on the skin of her arm to soothe her. It was nearly supernatural, but it all seemed so natural at the same time. And she knew what she wanted all at once.
Keira reached up and turned Torn's head, placing a kiss on his lips. He gasped into the kiss, shocked at her gesture, but his hands slowly slid up to her back and her cheek, deepening the kiss.
They parted and shared a very embarrassed, shocked moment of silence.
"I love you Torn. I just thought you should know." Keira said, a bright red blush crossing her cheeks. She knew she sounded stupid, but she didn't know what else to say to him. He laughed and caressed her cheek, hesitating to say what Keira could tell he deeply wanted to.
Just then, a loud crash resounding from upstairs, and loud panting and animalistic grunting could be heard. They immediately fell silent and their hands hovered above their weapons.
Keira used a free hand to grope for Torn's. He grabbed her small hand and laced their fingers; he smiled at Keira, trying to install some sort of comfort into her trembling form. Both of them knew the Metal Heads and Krimson Bots would break into the cellar; they would be greatly outnumbered, and so on.
They upturned their heads to the ceiling, listening for movements. They seemed to be searching the bar counter, judging by the sounds of breaking glass. Then they came over to the booths, upturning and ripping them apart. Wood smashed against the floor and snapped loudly right above them, making Keira jump and scold herself mentally for it.
Suddenly, all noise ceased. Sniffing and robotic clicks could be heard, but very softly… and nearing the hatch door! Keira gripped her pistol, and Torn grabbed his gun as they could hear scratching and blasting guns at the mouth of the trap door.
They both tensed, aiming their weapons slowly higher and higher, until their sights were directly on the trap door. They refused to go down without a fight.
"I want you to know… I'm happy to die here, by your side." Keira said to him, gazing at him.
Torn smiled and turned to her, smiling and stroking her cheek. "Keira, I love you."
He leaned over and kissed her, a bolder move than any front-line attack in his opinion. She smiled into the kiss and pulled back to kiss his forehead. She was about to say something, but the above noise was becoming too loud. She was drowned out, and when Torn leaned closer to try to hear her, he was only greeted by the sounds of the various bottles of alcohol around them smashing from the force of the above intruders.
Keira clamored to her knees, getting partly in front of Torn so he had more time, because of his leg.
Torn tapped her leg, and she turned to face the man she came to fall in love with under these odd circumstances. He had only a smile and a wink to offer her, which was plenty for her.
Let the games begin. She thought, staring up at the trap door, guns aimed and ready to fire.
BOOM!
The trap door blew open, finally giving way to all the force being put on it. A Metal Head-head, which looked exactly like what had attacked Keira then Torn, dangled down into the opening, making her unload an entire round into its face. It came crashing down into the tunnel, along with a small orange ottsel.
"Jeez Keira, careful with those bullets! You're gonna kill somebody!"
"…Daxter?!" Keira shouted, moving over to him. "What in the hell are you doing here?!"
Daxter smiled and jumped up, good as new. He stepped over the Metal Head body with a disgusted "Blech!", and cocked his hip in front of her with an egotistical smile.
"Hey babe, what's cookin'? And where did you learn to shoot like that?"
Keira gave Daxter a look of extreme confusion and annoyance, which told Daxter to explain fast.
"Jaky boy, they're down here!" Daxter called up the opened door.
"Huh?" Keira said, peering up and out of the door herself. Sure enough, there was Jak, running to meet her. Sig, Ashlien, and Pecker followed.
"I told you they were here, you twits!" He said in an indignant voice before perching where there wasn't an excess of Metal Head and Krimson Bot bodies.
Jak came over to meet her, and she smiled up at him. "I'm so glad you're all okay!"
He nodded, smiling at her. "I'm glad you two are okay, we were all worried."
"Torn is down here, nearer to the cellar, and his leg is beaten up." She said, gesturing down the short tunnel.
"I'll come down and help you carry Torn." He said, going to lower himself along side her.
"I don't need to be carried!" Torn yelled to them indignantly, making Jak, Daxter and Keira snicker.
Once everyone had sat down and had a drink in their hand, it was explained that they had searched for the pair as soon as the attacks had calmed down. Finally, they thought of the old, closed bar and headed over here fully armed and ready.
They came in the same way the Bots and Metal Heads had, and took them out just as they were about to finally blow through the hatch door.
"To think we'd been that close to…" Keira trailed off, and Torn patted her back.
"Well, we're fine now. Just scratched up and hungry for anything besides those damn beans." Torn said, and everyone laughed, relieved at the change of subject.
"Well let's get going then, cherries!" Sig said, resting his peacemaker on his shoulder with a smile. Keira and Torn stood up, following out everyone else, hand in hand.
"Amazingly enough, we made it." Keira whispered up to him, pausing. "What now?"
She had been nervous all along that his affection was a mere result of fear and their near-inevitable fate, and that he would go right back to Ashlien now. But he pulled her into his arms, hugging her and planting a kiss on her forehead.
"We're gonna pretend like we died and went to heaven." He said, laughing. He stared into her eyes, smiling.
"Would you two get the lead out?" Daxter's unmistakable voice yelled from outside. The sound of starting zoomers could be heard.
Torn wrapped an arm around Keira, and they walked out into their future.
Fin.