Keeping Me Alive
Summary: When Keira first arrives in Haven City, she is scared, lost, lonely and hurt. Luckily, the commander of the Krimzon Guard is more than happy to help her back on her feet. Erol/Keira, set during Jak II.
Disclaimer: The Jak and Daxter series do not belong to me.
Author's note: Wow, it's been a while since I posted this story. If anyone is still willing to follow this: I'm sorry it took so tremendously long. Still, I will continue and finish this story, so please keep that in mind when I fail to update again. Anyway, there are a few things of importance I'll discuss at the bottom of this chapter. For now, enjoy reading!
Chapter 2: The Man With The Mask
One, two, three, four, five. Five steps. That's how far I stayed behind the man in red, the man who was guiding me to a new destination. It was polite, or so Daddy had taught me, to stay exactly five steps behind your host.
I kept both my eyes firmly locked on the back of my guide, scared I might lose sight of him if I didn't. My environment wasn't important, at least not at that moment, and so I solely focused on my step, which I kept counting in my head, and the sight of the red-haired man in front of me. I vaguely noticed that we entered the edifice I'd admired not too long ago, but I didn't bother to look around. If I'd been my normal self, I would've been all over the place, examining every corner and studying every detail. But I wasn't my normal self. I was a lonely, scared little girl, far from home, with no one but a complete stranger to rely on. I couldn't bounce around. I had to stay focused.
The hallway through which we were walking was long, and cold. My still damp clothes stuck to my black and blue body, and I couldn't help but shiver slightly. To avoid my teeth from chattering, I hugged myself, rubbing my bare arms in an attempt to get warm. It worked, to some extent. I was still freezing cold, especially my feet, which felt like two lumps of ice, but at least my teeth weren't chattering. That certainly would've attracted the attention of the red-haired man, and, for some unexplainable reason, I didn't want him to think I was weak.
I felt as if we'd been walking for hours, though in all reality, I think it hadn't even lasted for five minutes. It was simply the cold, the exhaustion and the pain that made every step feel like an eternity, every breath like a struggle and every movement like a torture. I wasn't used to this kind of pain, since Daddy had always been there to protect and heal me on the rare occasions I had gotten myself into trouble. Or rather, when Jak and Daxter had gotten me into trouble.
I was pulled out of my memories when I realised the man had stopped walking. Relieved, I came to a halt as well. I had to suppress the urge to just lay down on the ground right there and then. Instead, I leaned against the wall, making it bear most of my weight, as I watched how the man stepped towards one of two large, iron doors. He held up a tiny, square pass in front of a small scanner next to the closest door. For a second or so, nothing moved, until a mechanical voice filled my large, pointy ears.
"Access granted."
Both the iron doors slid open without a sound. The man walked in, leaving me with no choice but to follow him. Yes, I would've loved to take a closer look at that talking scanner, but now was not the time for that. I had to keep track of the man at all costs.
I slipped through the iron doors, into a single, large room.
I tried to take in as much of the room as I could, but to be honest, there wasn't that much to see. There was an empty, wooden workbench plastered to the right wall and there were two platforms, one on each side of the room, the left holding up an old, beat-up zoomer. Apart from that, it was empty.
My steps were quiet, but the man's heavy boots made a loud noise every time they hit the floor. The sound echoed off the walls, sending a shiver, which had nothing to do with the cold, up my spine. This place desperately needed a renovation.
We crossed the room quickly, and I was relieved to find that we would not stay there. The man headed for another door, made out of plain wood this time. With no scanner in sight, he simply turned the knob and opened it, revealing a narrow staircase that went up higher than I could see.
The man in red, who seemed to know exactly what was up there, started climbing up the stairs. Unsurprisingly, I followed. The stairs were steep, and I was having an incredibly hard time keeping up with my guide. My breath quickly ran out, and I was soon panting, clutching my bruised ribs with one hand while keeping myself standing by holding the railing with the other.
Black spots started to form in front of my eyes, but I ignored them. I pushed my exhausted body forward with every ounce of strength I had left, each step up the stairs being an accomplishment on its own. Finally, after far too long, I reached the top of the stairs. I sighed in relief and dragged myself through another wooden door, a replica of the one downstairs, into the next room.
My hands still on my ribs and my breath ever so audible, I stood still for a few seconds, trying to pull myself together. When my panting had reduced to a soft wheezing, I straightened again, and took in my new surroundings.
The room I was standing in was smaller than the one downstairs, but it was also a lot more pleasant. It seemed to be some sort of a living room, with a couch, some chairs and a coffee table nearby. A small cabinet containing a strange, square black box stood across from the large couch. A few shelves, which had been adhered to the widest wall, were packed with books. The walls were a warm beige, and a soft grey carpet had replaced the cold stone underneath my feet. This place was… homey.
Suddenly, to my shock, I realised that the man with the red hair and amber eyes had vanished. I, naturally, panicked at the disappearance of the only person that'd attempted to help me. I tried to see where he'd taken off to, and I soon spotted a few doors up ahead, most likely leading to the other rooms of the apartment. I started walking towards them, but before I could take my third step, the door that was second closest to me swung open. The red-haired man stepped into the living room, his hawk-like gaze directed on the sole figure in the middle of the living room that was me.
I noticed he was carrying something white in his arms, and for the very first time, I decided to speak to him.
"What is that?"
Instead of answering, he tossed the object towards me. Caught off guard, I clumsily tried to catch it, but failed. Feeling my cheeks redden in embarrassment, I quickly snatched the thing from the floor and held it out in front of me.
"A robe?" I questioned when I realised what I was holding.
"Yes," he spoke. "You should change out of those wet clothes. You'll catch a cold."
His words, which would've been very sweet and caring if said by anyone else, had a slight, arrogant sneer in them. Nevertheless, he was offering me a warm, dry piece of clothing, and I was thankful for that.
"Thank you," I expressed my gratitude, giving him the brightest smile my weak muscles could muster at that moment.
He grinned, then pointed towards the room he'd just come out of. "The bathroom is over there," he stated. "I suggest you take a shower."
I looked down at my filthy, beat-up body, then nodded. "I will," I ensured him. "I…"
My sentence was never finished, for an obnoxious beeping sound suddenly filled the room. I looked around frantically, hoping to find the source of the horrible sound, only to find that it was coming from the man standing right in front of me.
He reached for something in the pocket of his jacket, and soon retrieved a small, square device, from which the sound was coming. He flipped it open hastily, causing the sound to stop. I breathed a sigh of relief.
"Commander!" the tiny device now spoke, making me jump about ten feet in the air. "The suspect is about to enter the area, I repeat, the suspect is about to enter the area! What do we do, sir?"
"Stay where you are," the red-haired man, who I now knew to be a commander, yelled into the device. "I'm on my way. Do not, under any circumstances, let him get away!"
"Copy that," the device, or whoever was talking into it, announced. "Out."
The commander shut the device with a little more force than necessary and hastily put it back where he'd found it. He walked past me, to the door that would lead him back to the staircase. "Stay here," he ordered me. "And do take that shower." After that, he was gone, the door slammed shut behind him. I could vaguely hear his banging footsteps on the stairs, then it was silent.
For a few seconds, I stood there, a bit dumbfounded about the man's sudden departure. I then realised it would be best to go take my much needed shower before he came back.
The robe still safely in my hands, I slowly made my way over to the room the man had pointed out. I carefully pushed the ajar door open, revealing a semi-large, window-less room, which was illuminated by a simple lamp, powered by yellow eco, dangling from the ceiling. The tiles on the floor and the wall were white, with a single rim of light blue through them. A large cabinet, most likely filled with towels, stood against the wall to my right. Two stone sinks hung on the left wall, much like the one the Blue Sage had in his kitchen. Daddy, of course, used the leaves of his favourite plant as a sink, claiming it was better for environment. Daddy also used the flower bud of his plant as a shower, and so did I. But the shower in this room, a large steel head with two knobs on the sides for hot and cold, resembled the metal shower the Red Sage had constructed. I had always wanted one of those, since I felt uncomfortable with Daddy's plant watching me shower, but Daddy had strictly forbidden it, muttering something about the Red Sage's bad influence every time I brought it up.
Rather exited, I approached the shower and turned on both the knobs. Lukewarm water immediately poured out of the shower-head, and I gladly stuck out my hand to feel the temperature while handling the knobs with my other hand. When I felt the water was exactly right, I stepped back to undress.
I quickly stripped down, carefully folded my dirty clothes and placed them on the rim of the left sink. The robe was placed on the rim of the right one. Then, I stepped underneath the warm beam of water.
It was heaven. It truly was. Almost immediately after the water hit my skin, I could feel my tense muscles loosening. My body relaxed as the water washed both my filth and tension away. Oh yes, I was in heaven.
I'm not sure how long I stood there, though I think it's fair to say that at least half an hour had expired since I first entered the bathroom.
With some reluctance, I managed to drag myself away from the shower. I turned the knobs back to their original position, causing the water to stop flowing. Shivering from the sudden drop in temperature, I quickly made my way over to the large cabinet to grab a towel. I took a large, cream coloured one, and dried myself, starting with my hair and then working my way down.
Once my feet were dry, I folded the towel, and, not knowing what to do with it, laid it on top of my filthy clothes, on the rim of the sink. I then took the white robe and slipped it on. The piece of clothing nearly consumed me from head to toe, being far too large for a girl my size. I didn't mind though; it was made out of a very warm and soft fabric, and this way, my feet wouldn't get cold. I knotted the band that would keep the robe from slipping. Once done, I lifted the robe a little, so it wouldn't drag over the floor, and left the bathroom.
I slowly made my way over to the large couch in the living room. If I hadn't been so tired, I probably would've examined the other rooms, to see if the rest of the apartment was as luxurious as the bathroom. My body this time overcame my mind, so instead of playing detective, I slumped down on the big, soft couch.
I now directly faced the black box I'd seen earlier, but I didn't care enough about it to rise from the couch. The soft, warm, comfortable couch. Hmmm… It was nice. And I was so tired… I yawned lightly. Maybe a little nap would do me some good. Maybe…
I was feeling deliciously fuzzy and warm. Hmmm, when had I gone to sleep? It seemed ages ago, but I knew it couldn't have been more than a couple of hours. Was I still in that cosy apartment? And had that commander returned yet?
Wanting an answer to my questions, I slowly stretched and opened my eyes. Well, question one answered; I was still in the apartment. I sat up on the couch, and pulled the large robe a bit tighter around me, afraid it might slip off. It was then I noticed a very peculiar item laying on the small coffee table.
Curious, I picked it up. It was a mask of some sort, a bit like the welding mask I had back home, but then a million times better. It was entirely grey, except for the eyes, which were red. A raster covered the mouth, probably to allow whoever wore it to breath, seeing as there were no holes for the nostrils. It was a true piece of art, no doubt about that. I wondered how it got there…?
"It's enchanting, isn't it?"
I looked up and saw him, the commander, walking towards me.
"Is it yours?" I asked.
He gave a short laugh. "Of course it is. Only the very best is good enough for the finest racer in town."
So he was a racer, too. Interesting. I liked people who could multi-task.
"You're the best racer in the city?" I asked, excited. I already had pictures in my mind of the races Jak and some other boys from Sandover occasionally held. Daddy would never allow me to participate, but I did always make sure Jak won by building him the best vehicle of all. My little A-Grav sure was the queen of the race track.
"Indeed I am." His voice was smug, but then again, it always seemed to be.
I had to admit, I was impressed. I knew the title of commander wasn't just given to anyone, and being the very best racer in the entire city was also quite the accomplishment. It must have taken this man a lot of hard work and training to get to the position he was in. I admired people who were willing to work for their goals, but maybe that's just because Daddy had always made sure that everything I ever wanted was handed to me on a silver platter.
I was pulled out of my thoughts when the man, the best racer in town, sat down on the chair to my left. He was staring at me, again, with those strangely mesmerizing amber eyes of his, and I, instinctively, pulled the robe a little tighter around myself. He chuckled at my gesture.
Who on earth was this man? He was interesting, I'd give him that, but he was so… so… strange? No, that wasn't the correct word. He was… intriguing. Yes, that's it. Intriguing. But who was he?
"Sir?" I decided to simply ask him. He looked into my eyes, awaiting my question. I managed to stare right back. "Who are you?"
"Who am I?" he repeated my question, a shimmer of amusement in his eyes. "You really are not from here, are you?"
I shook my head. He leaned back.
"I…" he started, the arrogance in his voice now more evident than ever, "...am Erol."
"Erol," I mused, letting the information sink in slowly. "That means 'brave', doesn't it?"
He smirked, obviously pleased with my knowledge. "Indeed it does."
I smiled, somehow feeling more at ease now that I knew the man's name.
"And what might your name be?"
Oh, I completely forgot! I never even introduced myself! How terribly rude of me. "My name is Keira, Keira Hagai." For a moment I wondered if I should hold out my hand for him to shake.
He nodded. "It suits you."
"Thank you, sir."
"Call me Erol." It was a command, not a suggestion.
"Right," I nodded in agreement.
"Good." He sat up straight, the amusement that had lightened his eyes mere seconds ago now replaced by seriousness. "Now that we've passed the formalities, let's get to business."
I swallowed.
As it turned out, 'getting to business' wasn't as bad as I had initially thought. Erol never asked much; he simply talked. I didn't mind, really. It meant I could keep my origin a secret for at least a little longer. I wasn't exactly sure if he'd be thrilled if I told him I arrived here by means of a purple portal. When he asked where I was from, I simply answered 'Oh, from a town nearby' and he was quick to assume I had lived in a place called Kras City, wherever that may be.
From there we somehow entered the topic of racing. Somewhere in between the grand stories of his biggest winnings, I managed to mention my skills with a wrench. Erol was quite interested in that. He told me the city was low on mechanics, mostly because the pay they received was downright awful. Whenever there was one willing to set up shop, wars between teams often tore them apart, leaving the sport without enough skilled professionals to handle the delicate vehicles.
I, however, couldn't care less. I needed a job, whatever job I could find, and being a mechanic was really all I knew how to do. When I exclaimed this, Erol grinned and handed me a piece of paper, which I now know is known as a cheque around here. He said it would be enough for a variety of materials and three months worth of rent.
I was confused at first. However, now that I've paid for my very own apartment, I couldn't be happier.
Erol gave me a sum money to set up my own shop. I was now the proud owner of one of the garages in the Stadium of Haven City. It was an exact replica of the one Erol had taken me to initially, only this one was further up front, near the entrance. The first floor was just as empty too, but that was just a matter of time. The apartment upstairs had already been fully decorated, though I should really go around with a feather duster once I had the time.
I had my own business. It really was hard to comprehend; I hadn't even been in this city for a day and already I had a way of earning a living. Daddy would be so proud if he could see me now.
Of course, that was still a problem. I needed to find Daddy. And Jak, and Daxter. It'd be hard, though. Already I had three orders for vehicles, all from Erol's team. He had spread the word quickly, and I couldn't refuse any requests from the team of the man who paid for my entire set-up. I did want to pay him back, however. He had said it was a gift, but I saw it only as a loan. Eventually, I would return every last penny to him.
Still, to do that, I had to set up shop as fast as I could. I really should go meet some suppliers.
I was going to rock this racing circuit.
And that concludes chapter 2! Alright, so there are a few things I feel I need to say about the story. First, I got a very smart comment from one of my two reviewers (thank you both!), namely Yunie Tatlin, saying Erol and Keira couldn't have met when they did because Erol was busy arresting Jak. And I find that very ironic, because I've been molding over that ever since I started writing this story. However, when I watched the intro for Jak 2, it's clearly visible that there is only one beam shooting from the sky. Therefore, I believe Jak & Daxter, Keira and Samos were shot down after each other, and for the sake of the story, I decided Keira was the first to go. Of course, the call Erol got in this chapter was a reference to Jak ;) Secondly, if anyone is wondering, Erol did have a good reason to give Keira money. It'll become clear in a later chapter. And now I'll stop talking and start writing chapter 3, which hopefully will be up soon. Hopefully until next time!