"Later... too ti-" Jak began to say but he was interrupted by a violent coughing fit. He slipped off the bench onto all fours coughing and hacking up blood and dark eco. During his coughing spell he managed to reopen his stomach wound. He sat back on his haunches gripping his side so hard that his knuckles turned white. "I don't like this... I think we should call in the Shadow and see if he can help Jak because right now theres nothing else we can do for him" Torn said crossing his arms and looking down on Jak's wounded figure. "You gonna be okay big guy?" Whispered Daxter right in Jak's ear so that no others could hear him. "Course Dax... I wont die that easy, you know me better than that don't you?" Jak rasped out, a ghost of a smile on his lips. "Now thats our our boy- Too damn stubborn to die!" Daxter exclaimed much more cheerfully than he felt.

"Shadow? This is Torn, the new recruit-yes that one- is injured really bad we're gonna bring him over to the hideout for the night. Maybe you could help... Things aren't lookin' too good for him right now... You'll see... aright we'll be over soon". Daxter was sitting next to Jak, trying to encourage him to stand up so he can get treated. "Come on big guy just stand up" he persisted. All he got in return was a groan and a grunt of pain as Jak rose from the ground, still clutching the ever reddening bandages on his abdomen. The simple movement caused Jak to breathe heavily in order to cope with his currently compromised ribcage. Tess came over with a dark blue sweatshirt and carefuly pulled it over Jak's head who grunted appreciatively and slipped his arms through. He slowly staggered over to the double zoomer with the help of Sig who said worriedly "Stay good cherries I expect to wake up to good news tomorrow". Then he departed for his home in the wasteland. Tess was already kneeling down on the floor with a soaked red rag and a bucket wringing out a considerable amount of blood. She cast a worried glance up at Torn who was about to walk through the doors and whispered "Please take good care of him". Torn was suprised at the amount of compassion in her voice and said softly "I'll do my best..." and with that he walked out the door.

Torn walked out to find Jak who was reclined in the passenger seat, eyes closed and breathing heavily and Daxter who had curled up around Jak's neck in an effort to keep him warm. "How'ya doin' Jak?" asked Torn. "M'fine" Jak replied weakly. Torn shook his head the renegade was just too damn cocky to ever ask for help. As they took off Torn realized that even though Jak joined the underground two months ago that he barely knew a thing about the kid. And yet somehow he had managed to grow on him. Torn shook his head at his own stupidity, in times like these it was dangerous to care about anyone. Who knows? you might just wake up one morning to find out they're dead. Torn looked over at Jak's prone form and sped up a little, he looked like he was fading.

When they finally arrived at the Underground HQ Torn carefully hoisted the now unconscious Jak over his shoulder and stepped out of the zoomer. Torn's legs wobbled slightly damn this kids heavy! He looked slim but he was solid muscle, and muscle weighs more than fat. Torn walked down the narrow staircase taking care not to Bump Jak's head on the low ceiling. Precursors know he didn't need another injury to worry about. Daxter trailed behind and let out a loud shriek when the Underground door nearly closed on his tail. This apparently grabbed the attention of the Shadow. Jak and Daxter had met this strange younger Samos, who seemed to have absolutely no recollection of the two at all, once before. "Good god!" was all Samos could say when he laid eyes on Jak. "I know..." Torn replied regretfully, he felt this was somewhat his fault because he was the one who had sent Jak on that suicide mission the day before. "So ya think you can help im'?" asked Daxter anxiously, he didn't like the way Jak's lips were beginning to loose their tannish color. "Well I suppose I could try to administer some green eco to his stomach wound but it's very risky for someone like Jak, his system is so infused with Dark eco that adding green might cause a negative reaction," Samos replied. "Dark eco? Whats Jak got to do with dark eco?" Torn asked startled. Daxter crossed his arms and frowned "The Baron pumped our boy here full of dark eco for two years in that prison". "So Jaks the one the Baron wants to catch? Jeeze I never saw that coming, I don't think Iv'e ever seen someone hate someone else like Jak hates the Baron." Torn said solemnly. "Now I know why".

The Shadow returned from the supplies room with a canister of green eco. The two others watched amazed as he drew it within himself and then placed his hand on Jak's heavily bandaged abdomen. At first Jak's breathing quickened and his brows knit together, but then he began to grunt in pain as the two ecos in his system converged. Then hot searing pain erupted in his abdomen and quickly began to spread through his veins. The shadow drew back when a stray spark of dark eco leapt off the boys body and grounded itself on a nearby bed post. "Oh no just as I had feared" Samos gasped. "What whats wrong with him?" Daxter hollered frantically. "The dark eco in his system has rejected the green". They all looked over with widened eyes has Jak made choking sounds and his body began to convulse. He thrashed around, back arching off the bed, while random sparks of eco leapt from his body and created scorch marks on every near surface.

Then at a excruciating pace Jak's body began to change. Because his body was fighting off the green eco the transformation was occurring at a painfully slow pace. One could hear muscle tearing and bones cracking to rearrange themselves into a more beastly frame, but perhaps the most disturbing sound was the sickening cracks as two black horns were forcefully pushed from the boy's skull. This was stuff outta nightmayers. Jak's small screams began to deepen in pitch until they were rasping growls. Oh yes Daxter thought This is bad

To be continued...