Lucky
Warnings: Mentions of blood and death, sort of.
Short description: My entry for the "Plot Hole" Contest. I chose to fill a few plot holes. The first one being, why is Jinx working for Ashelin and Torn in Jak 3? Also what the hell happened to his buddies Grim and Mog? And lastly, why does Jinx have that bandage on his left arm? /deep breath/ It didn't quite work out the way I planned but hey, its here and its done. Enjoy.
A sudden intake of too much oxygen and something else that tickled the back of his throat resulted in a fit of coughing. Unfortunately these were the only things his body was able to accomplish at this point.
However, Jinx was now beginning to notice a god awful ringing in his ears and an irritating stuffiness in his head. He seemed to be in the state between unconsciousness and waking up. That groggy, annoyingly unfocused state and he couldn't quite… grasp at the edge of nothingness and find the strength to pull himself back out. He was uncomfortably helpless and aware enough to know he didn't like it. Never had, one of the reasons why he didn't sleep much he vaguely recalled.
Fuck. Did thinking always hurt this much?
But is seemed the only thing he could do until he could convince his body to move.
Funny, he didn't remember falling asleep.
That stifling fog was lifting just a little. He was able to curl his fingers now. Well in his right arm at least. He must have fallen asleep on the other one.
Jinx turned his head, the feeling of splintered wood scratching the side of his already roughened face.
He'd fallen asleep on the floor?
Must have gotten drunk or something. Passed out. Something like that, it was the only excuse he could think of.
That tingling numbness in his stubborn left arm was finally beginning to wash away, but he wasn't quite prepared for what replaced it.
Fuck!
Searing, throbbing pain…
Goddamit! What the fuck!
He tried to scream out but another body racking cough was all he could manage. The force of which jarred already sensitive muscles.
What the fuck had happened?
The sleepy pull of unconsciousness began to melt away and he began to notice more. The pain in his arm was one thing, as was his current place on the floor it seemed. But it appeared that everywhere else on his person either hurt or ached or was extremely uncomfortable. The skin he could feel itched. He felt dirty. Dirtier than usual in this place… if he was even in his place, he didn't know anymore.
He did remember begin tired at least. Sitting at the table. Nodding off once or twice. Maybe he had fallen asleep. Maybe Mog had felt sorry for him again and put him to bed.
He just… didn't know.
The stinging sensation had final spread the rest of the way through his tired body. He was able to move his knees underneath himself, his right arm for support and with more effort than usual he pushed himself into an upright position of sorts.
The room spun. Horribly. His stomach immediately twisting and heaving but there was nothing to bring up.
It was then that he also remembered being hungry. He remembered there being nothing around to eat and the other two being too afraid to go out to find anything.
They would keep still they'd said. Wait it out one more day. Things were louder out there than usual. Just one more day and then he'd go.
Those cowards. He wouldn't be waiting any more for them to decide. He was not going to die here.
Fuck!
Thinking. Thinking was not good. Thinking fucking hurt.
But it was the only thing to do right now until he could will the room to stop spinning.
Please. Stop. Fucking. Spinning.
Jinx swallowed hard. His brow pressed against his filthy forearm, his eyes clenched shut. He couldn't feel the sweat prickling his skin. Or smell the burning wood. He didn't notice that the Freedom Leaguers' shouting had gotten that much louder. Or the smell of the harbor was a little to close for comfort. But after a while he was able to hobble to his feet.
He used the wall to steady himself. Careful steps, painful steps were made in a room where he couldn't make out anything for sure. The warmth sliding down the side of his face, into his eye and down off his nose was not helping matters much either.
He was bleeding. He'd finally figured that out. He could smell it but he wasn't too concerned about it at the moment. There was now only this all-consuming need to get out as fast as his aching body could carry him.
If only he could remember what the hell had happened.
Where the fuck are those idiots?
He would have called out to them if he'd had the energy. Cursed their existence aloud if he'd had the will do so. But he didn't, all his strength was being used just to stay on his feet and fumble around in the dark.
Until his foot caught, and he lost what precious little balance he'd had and met the ground face first.
He just lay there for the longest time, frustrated and aching, trying to will the dizziness away. Grimaced as he once again forced himself upright with his only functioning arm.
"Mog! Grim!" He ground out.
Rolled over, "For fuck's sake!"
The scene before him was framed in an eerie light as the sun finally forced its way through the cloud of smoke and debris.
What the hell did you do!
There was just a gaping hole where his house used to be. Where their neighbors' houses used to be. He didn't notice all the noise around him. A woman sobbing, a baby crying, some man screaming his guts out in agony. Not even the Freedom Leaguers scrambling about trying to gather the few survivors they could find. It was all muted to Jinx, who just sat there and stared.
"Sir?"
"…"
"Sir, are you alright? Can you hear me? We should get you out of here. There's no telling how many more of those things there are. Sir?"
Jinx finally turned around to acknowledge the voice. It was nervous and unsure, that of some kid. Some kid dressed in irritatingly blue and yellow armor that hurt his watering eyes. It was entirely too big for him. Like it didn't belong to him. Like he had no business in it at all.
But Jinx didn't voice any of these thoughts; he just let the kid help him up. Winced when the idiot grabbed his apparently dislocated shoulder. And shrugged the useable one when the kid started rambling on about how lucky he was to have live through it all.
Lucky? Right.