It had been the dead of night when his off and Torn's voice broke dead silence.

"Jak. I need your help"

He replied with something rude, but instead of the anger he expected there was silence and then a broken please so soft that the blonde man thought that he might have imagined it.

The tough ex commander was desperate and he could hear it in his voice . "Jak i need the best on this one"

"And here i was thinking that i was just an unstable kid"words torn had spoke he threw back at him. He had heard one of the Underground talking about how unstable he was, how dangerous it was to keep him around, and Torn had agreed on part but said that it was better that they knew where he was and knew the damage he would do.

"Your are. But your also insanely good at surviving suicide missions."

Silence.

"Meet me at the coordinates i'm sending you."

"Why should i"

"You weren't the Barons only prisoner"

The line went dead leaving jak staring at his communicator for several moments before he slid his boots back on grabbing his gear.

It was a ruin in the middle of nowhere. Past the dead zone. He couldn't believe that the baron would have a hidden prison so far out.

He said as much after he arrived and torn shot him a dirty look. "It was unused until you escaped. She was kept in the same prison as you were before he found you gone. Apparently he didn't want to risk another with this one."

"What's so special about her" jak almost regretted the ones with the look that Torn gave him"She's a sage, or rather a sage in training with the ability to channel all types of eco. They found her already captured by a rogue kg soldier. Perfect for the taking despite her status because no one knew where she was or even if she was alive."

"Her status"

"Her father's family are Haven city nobels, her mother's family is descended from the yellow sage of legend, and is the ruling house of Providin, a city to the far east, close to the snow mountains. She is also the adopted niece of another city's ruler."

"So they kidnapped a girl with ties to the most powerful houses in three cities, and you want us to just waltz in and rescue her when they doubled security" daxter piped up from his place on Jaks shoulder looking at Torn like he grew a second head.

"Tripled"

"Tripled" daxter voice was a half squeal

"Tripled security. You ready jak"

"Sounds fun. Come on Dax"

There was darkness, the small ray of light blocked and then back again, the sharp clock of the door echoing through the cell and further within her own head. A strange man appeared his hair blonde in the lighting behind him. His eyes dark, swirling in the darkness to her sight.

"It's alright", his voice was softer than she expected, was it real or the drug. It was like he was speaking to an injured animal, though the rational part of her mind supposed that curled up on the floor as she was that is what she must appear. "I'm not here to hurt you, Torn led me here."

"Prove it" steady even. Not betraying the fear, the unease.

Words broken and awkward fell lips words from Providen words that only torn would utter. "Big brothers here to protect you" the stranger did what he said but he still said them and moved a step closer she backed up on instinct.

He sighed and this orange thing on his shoulder leaned closer to his ear. "Remember .were jak"

The man no….boy he couldn't have been older than his glove and rolled up the right sleeve. "I know what it's like" scars. So many scars that he traced with his hand. Scars like raider caused. Scars like erol would love to have caused.

"Your the one in the cell"

His face looked funny the world was swimming before her eyes and the drugs washed over her again.

"Yea"

Silence and then "can you walk"

She made this noise in the back of her . it had not been so bitter she might have called it a laugh or a chuckle. He tilted his head so she pulled away the blanket she sed as.a cloak showing what was now her right leg. The mess of scarred tissue the missing piece of flesh. The severed tendons in her knee.

"Shit"

And he only saw a few inches, would he throw up if he saw it all.

"I'm going to have to carry you. Is that okay" he knew. He knew the true extent of the damage wasn't even on the flesh.

"It be doesn't it"

That half smile so bitter as he carefully picked her up tucking the damaged flesh against him hiding it from view. As though he knew that too. That she did not want to see it in the light. Even with the world rocking back and forth as it did. Would the drug make it look worse or better.

"Let's get out of here"