Fire's Child
Chapter 1- The Search
Jay was home, but it didn't look like home. It didn't look like anything. She hadn't been here in 3 years. Now it was gone, all traces of it ever being there were gone. All that remained was a memory of it being there. It wasn't what she was expecting. She didn't know what she was expecting.
About 3 years ago Jay was taken away by the Baron's Guards. Taken away from her home and her brother.
This was terrible. How could she lose him? She was supposed to protect him. She swore it! And now he was gone. Their house was a wreck. Everything was gone. But that was the least of her worries.
He was only 2 when she was taken away; he could barely eat breakfast without hurting himself in one way or another. What really scared her was what other people would do to him. There had been recent rumours of the Baron injecting someone with Dark Eco, to create a 'warrior'. Something all too familiar to Jay.
Jay remembered her two and a bit years in the Baron's prison. She saw things she didn't want to see. Tests, all these horrible tests. They were just that, horrible.
The screams of fellow prisoners still echoed in her head and haunted her dreams. And death. She lost count of how many innocent men and women died during their ordeal. There was even suicide.
She could feel the anger burning inside.
'OK, calm down,' she thought.
She then noticed she was being stared at by all the people in the street at the time.
'Mental note: do NOT draw attention to your self'
Jay sighed. She felt so alone. She had spent her entire life looking after herself and her young brother. Though she loved him more that life itself she always wanted someone who would take care of her. But that was the least of her worries.
How the hell was she supposed to find her brother, who was about 5 or 6 os something, in a place like haven city. She hardly thought he would be where she left him. He was smart. He would have looked for someone to take care of him. Well now she could take care of him, but first she needed to find him.
'I need more eyes!'
She obviously didn't expect to grow an extra set eyes, she wasn't that stupid. She would use other peoples'. And she knew just the person to help her out.
Sig.
Jay meet Sig a year back while the circus camp she now worked for was attacked by MetalHeads. It had been in broard daylight and it seemed planed, as if it were all thought out. Not very well, though. By chance, Sig was there to help them out, no casualties, blah blah.
Yeah, Sig would help her out for sure...
'Beside, he owes me for saving Poopsy Bear.' She thought with a laugh. 'Poopsy Bear.'
But it would have to wait. She was supposed to be at the big top ages ago. After being banished for god knows what reason, Jay joined a travelling circus. They were a big hit. Their skills were legendary. Unlike most travelling circuses, Lunari Circus performed only at night and had no animal acts. It could not be afforded.
Jay had another idea.
She would give Sig a backstage pass to the circus tonight. 'Brilliant!!!'
She paused at a thought.
In the passed 3 years her life was full of action and adventure. First she was imprisoned for 2 and a bit years. Then she got cast out, but managed to get a job with a travelling circus. And for the past 4 or 5 months she lived with the circus.
She shook the thought out of her mind. It was not one of her happier memories.
'What's done is done. It's not like I can do anything about it now.'
She ran her fingers through her braided hair. It looked so different from how she remembered. The bright red with blond tips were so foreign. It's funny how she never really noticed.
'How the HELL did it turn RED?!?'
And with that she ran off.
"Sure, why not" Sig accepted Jay's invitation, but for some reason he felt this was not just a friendly gesture. She wanted something in return. But just how far was she willing to go to get it?
"But what about my friends?" he asked
"I'm sorry. What?"
She was definitely shocked and made no attempt to hide it.
"Don't my friends get an invite?"
"How many, exactly?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Sig began counting. Jak and Daxter for sure. Jak wouldn't come without Keira, and Keira wouldn't come without her father. Tess would have to come. So would Torn and Ashlin.
"Seven."
"Sure, whatever," Jay was speaking very fast "Here are eight tickets. At the end, just go 'round back. If anyone gives you any trouble tell them to talk to me"
"Ok"
"It starts at 8. What time is it now?"
"Half past seven."
"What!?! Sig I have to go." She said apologetically. "It's near the race track." She called back as she was running for her life.
That was that. Sig never really wanted to take the others, but now he had no choice.
He got into his hover car and drove to the Naughty Ottsle.
On the bright side he knew Jay was alive and healthy. But she did seem different. She was always different from others, but this was strange, even for her.
'She's worried about something that she can't control.'
Jay liked to be in control of a situation, as far as Sig knew. She was just so different from how he remembered her.
He pondered on this.
Something was definitely different about Jay. But what exactly was it?
This was driving Sig crazy. He would have to ask her after the show.
When Sig arrived at the Naughty Ottsle he was greeted by a roar by a group of random drunks.
He went straight to far end of the bar, where the gang usually hung out. And, as usual, they were all there.
"Hey," Sig said, "how'd you all like to come to the circus with me? My treat."
They all gawped at him.
"And how exactly did you get 8 TICKETS!?!?!" roared Torn.
"I didn't steal them if that's what you're implying."
"Then how?"
"I met a friend."
Torn just stared at him.
"She didn't steal them either."
Torn was still not convinced.
"And how do you know this?" he asked harshly
"She works at the circus." Sig replied just as harshly.
Well that shut Torn up.
"So you guys comin'?"
"Oh yeah, it's our change to mingle with highly-flexible ladies." That comment was from the one and only Daxter. Everyone else muttered in agreement.
"Well, let's go then."
"What, now?!" that was Jak. It was obvious he didn't want to go. He didn't want to go anywhere.
"Come on, Jak. It'll be fun." urged Keira.
Daxter didn't even wait for a reply. "Then let's go already!" and he ran outside. I think it's safe to say that Jak didn't have a choice.
He didn't know why he didn't want to go. He had always been socially challenged, but this was a circus and he didn't have to interact with anyone. And just who was this friend of Sig's? He never met her, he never even heard about her.
Oh well, he would know soon enough, but something was telling him he would find out something no one knew. It would shock them.
I always seem to loose my lip-gloss. That wouldn't be such a problem if I didn't have chronic-dry-lip syndrome. Furthermore, I can never seem to find thing when I need them. Like I lost my guitar picks and I needed them to practise power cords, then I went on to hammer-ons, and THEN I found my picks! Not to mention all the other things I lose. But there are always the 'special' things that never get lost...
Luck and Love,
Anita