Hello, this is a one-shot that has been sitting on my computer for a few years and decided to publish it. Sorry to anyone looking for a continuation to this, but even though I love Jak and Daxter and have been a fan since the first games release, this was made out of boredom over a year ago and I had no idea what was going through my head at the time. Hope you all enjoy this short little one-shot. -DN

Two years. Two years had passed since she arrived in this world. She had just finished building the precursor portal with her father, her friend Daxter, and her best friend Jak when they went through and got separated. She was left alone when she arrived in this "Haven City". She was scared. Where did they go? Where they even in the same place...time? She asked herself over and over again. All she had left of them was a picture, her memories, but even they had started to fade in time. She hated to forget the man that saved not only herself, but the world. But she knew he wasn't coming back. She had come to terms with that a long time ago. Jak was just a name now, not a person.

It had taken her nearly a year to settle after her sudden appearance. She contacted a shady group of people and with their help, she was able to get a place to call her home and a job as a mechanic here in the stadium. After she was able to get herself in a stable living condition in Haven City, she decided to finally get to know her surroundings since she was never going to be able to go home. To her horrific shock and surprise, she found out she was in the future. She had thoughts this was the case since the world and language was very similar to what she knew and the vehicles flying around the city were zoomers, akin to what she invented in the past. Haven City was apparently built near her old village, along the shoreline to the west, past sentinel beach. Apparently, the ocean receded away from the coast, allowing its founder, Mar, the build the city with relative ease. She had dreams was venturing outside the walls and seeing what had become of her village, but it was illegal to travel beyond Haven's wall without direct permission from the Baron, and she was never going to get that.

There were legends too, written down on scrolls and parchments about the journey of an unnamed hero who traveled north from the peninsula and defeated a dark evil. She was happy to see that Jak's adventure wasn't truly forgotten. However, she also learned of an event that chilled her to her soul, the emergence of the metal heads. There wasn't a specific date, but the disappearance of the hero in legend and the location was too much of a coincidence. Those things that flew out of the portal as Jak turned it on were metalheads like she feared and they infected and destroyed parts of Sandover Village before being stopped by the three remaining Sages of blue, red, and yellow eco in a matter of hours. But the sudden appearance of the creatures along with the disappearance of the hero and the Green Eco Sage caused a large panic.

"Hello? Anyone here? Krew sent me here, heard you needed a new driver." A gruff voice said, knocking her out of her thoughts. She looked up from behind her machinery to see a silhouette of a man from behind the curtain that hid herself and her project. She was confused as to why he was here, but then remembered that she has asked, Krew, a fat bar owner, crime lord, smuggler and weapons merchant, if he knew anyone that could waste their life for the Stadium. She managed a team that competed, but her last competitor was killed as usual in the Stadium. As much as she hated the casual loss of life, she needed someone to represent her to continue working here and only people working for Krew would be brave enough, or dumb enough, to race. It was a dangerous sport and death was not permitted, but is wasn't uncommon as to how grueling and difficult the races were.

"Yeah, yeah. Look, I'm busy right now. You must be Krew's new errand boy. I don't mean to be rude, but I'm not interested in any new drivers right now." She lied. "I'm on a deadline. So, could you come back later." She told him, not wanting to talk with anyone at the moment. Remembering her past took too much of a toll on her state of mind and having to deal with Krew's new plaything wouldn't help.

"Look, I got here in the three minutes you asked from the Port. Is there anything I could do at least so my effort wasn't wasted?" He said harshly, leaning up against a tool cabinet. "Like any help with that deadline you were talking about?"

"No!" She yelled, "It's...ah...a secret project."

"Ok, sorry." He said in a sarcastic tone.

"Look, if you think you have the guts to compete in the stadium challenge, go to the other side of the stadium and complete the hover board challenge. And maybe I'll consider you for my team." She lifted herself up and sat on a lead that was a part of her project.

He didn't say anything for a second. She felt as though he was staring at her. She figured that her shadow was showing through the curtain and he could only see her figure like she could only see his.

"Alright. I'll be back when I'm done." He said, before she heard the clunk of metal boots stomp on the concrete. Once she couldn't hear them anymore, she giggled to herself. The challenge would take hours to get a decent score for a beginner. She had just gotten rid of him. Now was the worse time for someone like him wonder in. Though something about him reminded her of someone. She pushed the thought away and got back to work.

It was later that evening when she heard another set of metal boots walk into her shop. She sighed mentally.

"Keira? Are you here?" A voice said. This time, she knew who it was, and it brought her joy. Opening the curtain and walking out, she found someone who she was very happy to see, Erol. He was a tough, tall man with red-orange hair and dark yellow eyes. He wore his usual dark blue and yellow combat suit with crimson shoulder armor, he was the Commander of the Krimson Guard after all.

"Ah, there you are. How are things going?" He asked her with a smile, something that she loved. He would always come see her when he was on duty around the stadium.

"I'm doing great. Got a lot of work done today." She replied.

"Good. So, I wanted to ask, are you still going to participate in the races this year?" He asked. She gave a determined nod and he chuckled. "And I suppose you're going to turn down my offer to join my team still?" He had been asking her to join his team for many seasons, seeing how he was the victor for the last several years. She knew that he was a natural prodigy with a zoomer and on a hoverboard; he was the best of the best. But that meant she wanted to beat him with her own competitor.

"No can do Erol. You know I want to beat your team." She said happily.

"Good luck trying. Have you found anyone to replace your last one yet?" He asked. Her last competitor for the last two racing competitions had died in the stadium when his boosters refused to work and flew into the pit. It was supposed to just make the challenge more interesting and no one had ever fallen in; now there has been.

"Not yet. But someone did come in earlier asking. I sent him away though." She said a little saddened.

"Well I hope you find someone soon." He said, he patted her back, trying to comfort her. But he had a frown of disappointment on his face.

"Yeah. I'll find someone before the qualifiers." She looked up to him with smile. He smiled back.

"Yeah. Anyway, I have to go back to my station. I'll see you later, ok?" He smiled.

"Ok. Be safe out there." She said to him.

"You too. Oh yeah, I guess I should mention this to you. There was an escaped at the prison a few days ago and the prisoner is still at large. Be careful and call me if you see man with long blond hair, wearing a blue tunic with metal plating, off white pants, metal boots, and a red scarf around his neck. He is dangerous, Keira." He said with concern.

"You know very well I can handle myself, Erol. But I'll keep an eye out. And make sure you keep an eye out too. Wouldn't want to have machines for limbs like our Baron." She joked. Erol chucked.

"I'll make sure I will, see you later!" He said shortly before leaving. Keira sighed before moving to the window and looking out onto the metal city that was her prison. She could see the towering tower that was the palace, and the mile-high walls that surrounded that city. Erol was the only person that seemed nice in this city. Feeling depressed, Keira went behind the curtain and went back to work. It was the only thing to keep her mind off this place.

She worked for what felt like hours. And when she looked at the clock on the wall, and it had been. It was now 8:47 pm. That was when she heard metal boots walking into her shop for the third time today.

"I beat the course." The gruff voice from before said.

Keira looked over her shoulder to find the silhouette of the man from before. Great, him again. She thought.

"Great. I'll send you a metal. Now would you please leave me alone. I have work to do." She said.

"You don't like me, do you?" He asked after a short pause.

"You work for that slime ball Krew. What's not to like?" She said.

"I get your point." Keira eyed the man. She was weary of him. She had noticed that his head was moving around, like it was examining her shop. "You have a lot of trophies. Is it true that the winner of the Stadium Challenges gets to meet to Baron?" He asked. Keira caught a hint of hatred in his voice.

"You a fan?" She asked sarcastically.

"Oh yeah. I'm a real fan of the Baron." He said in an equal sarcastic way.

"Great. Look, if you want to get into the Palace, I can't help you. Try your luck next time." She said shortly. This guy was really suspicious and suspicious people usually get arrested and get thrown in prison for rebelling. Same with the people around them.

"What? I've done what you've asked. At least give me a shot. You haven't even seen me on a zoomer!" He was getting angry and she was too. She got fed up with the man and burst through the curtain with a wrench in hand.

"Look. Get ou..." She shouted before getting a good look at the man. His long blond and green hair went all the way down to his shoulders, where a red scarf was placed. He wore a dark blue tunic with metal plating on the shoulders and towards the center of his lower arm. His off-white pants were loosely around his legs, but were tucked into the metal boots on his feet. But what stuck out the most to her was his face. It showed little emotion, but anger and fury, and his blue eyes were cold and empty. But suddenly, it changed. His mouth opened and his eye widened.

"K-Keira?" He said in a panic voice. She only tensed up when he called her name. How would he have known her? "Keira. It's me...Jak." Those last word shattered her train of thought. This man couldn't be Jak. Jak disappeared in the portal two years ago.

"J-Jak?" She dropped her wrench with a clang. She could see it now. He had changed a lot from she last saw him, but there were similarities. He is gruffer looking and his hair was definitely longer and he had a bit of facial hair, but other than that, she knew it was him. And he could speak. "What happened to you. You look...different." You look different. Seriously?! You don't see him for two fucking years and that's what you say to him? She thought to herself. Jak looked down and to his left.

"A lot happened." He said sadly.

"No shit a lot happened. What happened to you? Where did you go? Where have you been? Where's Daxter?" She said hastily. She wanted to know everything that happened to him. But the answer to her questions disappointed her.

"You don't want to know. And I don't think you should know about what happened to me...or Dax" He sounded a bit angry, but she could hear the pain and sorrow in his voice.

"Jak." She walked up to him and placed her hand on his. It was tough, nothing like they used to be. "Please tell me." She pleaded. His blue eyes looked into hers, he was scared.

"I was in prison." He managed to say. Keira froze and backed her hand away from his. Prison. "I was abducted off the streets two years ago right when we arrived and was in the Palace prison ever since." He told her. Fear filled her eyes. Only the worse went to the Palace prison. What had he done to go there. And then she remembered something Erol had told her. An escaped prisoner with a red scarf around his neck. Surely that couldn't be Jak. "They killed Daxter, Keira. They killed him because he tried to save me." There was no sadness on his face, just rage.

"And before you ask. Nothing. I did nothing wrong. I had just landed in the industrial sector, minding my own damn business when the Krimson Guard arrested me." She swore she had saw his eyes turn completely black for a second before turned back to it usually color. The room started to grow cold and a shiver went down her spine.

"H-how did you get out?" She asked. This would be the first time she's ever heard of someone breaking out.

"I broke out, Keira. Daxter came and saved me, but he was shot in the escape. My hands were covered in blood when I got out of there!" He said in a slight psychotic tone. The room felt like ice against her skin. "I'm a monster, Keira. A freak." A tear strolled down Jak's cheek. She could tell by the way his was holding his hand, he was holding something back. She could see small bolts of purple lightning coming from it. Then he froze. His breathing stopped and his didn't move.

"Jak." She said weakly. Suddenly, Jak turned around.

"I'm sorry. I should leave." His voice was back to the gruff one from before, and he started to go for the door, until she grabbed hold of his sleeve.

"Wait! Don't leave, Jak!" She said, a tear was flowing down her face. "Please don't leave again. I don't know about anything you did, just please don't leave again." She wiped a tear off her face as she let go of him. She didn't want to lose him again. She was so alone and never expected to see anyone she knew again, but here he was, Jak. She wanted to hold onto him and never let him go, but she could see it in his eyes, he didn't want to stay. She lowered her, but a finger lifted her chin up and he was met with eyes that she had never forgotten. There was light. He wiped away a tear and hugged her.

"I-I don't want to leave, but if I stay...I know I'll hurt you if I stay." He said gently. Those words made her so happy. She jumped up and planted her lips onto his. Her arms wrapped around his neck to keep him close. So much pent-up emotion was let out in one go. She missed him so much, her Jak. She felt him kiss her back and she felt butterflies in her stomach.

"I missed you so much." She said with a tear in her eye.

"I missed you too. More than you think." She let go of him reluctantly and grabbed his arm. She led him up a staircase and into her apartment, where she lightly pushed him down on her couch. She sat next to him, embarrassed about the scene that happened downstairs. They didn't speak for a few moments.

"So, this is where you live now?" Jak asked, trying to break the silence.

"Yeah…I moving in, shortly after I got here," She said quietly. "Jak, I-"

"I'm sorry." He interrupted. "I'm sorry for leaving you alone for so long. I wanted to get back to you, but I couldn't. When I got out and I had no idea where you were, or if you were even in Haven or even if you were alive. I thought I lost you." He said. Keira hugged him again.

"It's alright. I hadn't given up on you at the beginning. I tried looking for you too. I ask around to see if anyone had seen you. I had asked Erol if he knew, but he didn't say anything." She soon regretted her words. When she said Erol's name, she felt something off. Jak's skin got colder and his body tensed up, his skin was literally turning white. She let go of him. "Jak?"

"Erol?! Don't tell me you know that bastard!" He said harshly forming his hands into fists.

"Y-yeah, I do. He comes around the shop every now and then. We're good friends." She said reluctantly. She couldn't let know him that she liked him. From his reaction, Jak knew Erol, but not the way she knew him.

"I want you to stay away from him." He said harshly, after his calmed down and his skin regained its color. "He isn't who he says he is."

"What do you mean?" She was both curious and scared to know.

"He was the one that put me into that hell hole. The one that shot Daxter! The one that turned me...into a FREAK!" Jak said in fury.

"What? No. He-he wouldn't." Keira couldn't believe it. Erol had been so nice to her since they day they met. Sure, he was a part of the guard, but he assured her that he wasn't like the rest.

"Every single day I was in there, him and the Baron would experiment on me. They wanted to turn me into a living weapon. And it worked." His eyes were closed and his skin started to fade again.

"You're not a monster, Jak." She tried to reassure him.

"But I am! I'm cold heartless killer. I've killed over a few squadrons of Guards." The room grew cold again, and Keira could see a change in Jak. As a light purple mist fumed over his body and as dark purple and black lightning sparked from his skin, his skin faded into a pale white, his fingernails turned black and elongated, his hair turned a silver white, fangs grew from his teeth, and a pair of black horns sprouted from underneath his hair. But most of all, his eyes turned a solid black, leaving no white or color showing.

"This is what they did to me!" He shouted in a fury. "They pumped Dark Eco into me for those two years, Keira. They turned me into a monster! They turned me into what Gol was! I'm cold blooded monster!" He shouted. He voice was deep and dark. It sounded like he was growling.

Keira practically ran from her seat to the opposing wall, away from Jak. She was scared. This wasn't Jak. Jak wasn't a monster. Jake was kind and heroic!

However, Jak saw how she ran from him and the fear in her eyes. It infuriated him more. She knew now, what he had become and she was scared of him. He wanted to slash at something, he wasn't to break something, he wants to kill something. But he saw the look on her face again and his anger subsided; it was replaced his sadness. She would never want to be with him again. Never want to see him again. Never want to love him again. At the last thought, he returned to normal without even realizing it.

Without saying anything, Jak moved to the door and the stair, jumping down into the garage.

"Jak!" Keira yelled as she followed him in a rush. She almost fell down the stairs and when she got to the bottom, she was met with an unpleasant sight. Both Jak and Erol had guns pointed at each other's head.

"What are you doing here, Freak!?"