Author's Notes: Thank you everyone who is reading and everyone who has left reviews! And thank you again to Solziv for being amazing and beta-reading this hot mess! If you like the pairing, there's not only a group on DeviantART and Tumblr, but we also have a Discord server!
Thanks and enjoy!
Chapter 2 – Remember Everything
Flashes, gunfire, screaming, thudding, scraping. Almost every night it was the same. He saw the same thing. He felt the same thing. He couldn't shake the dread and he couldn't stop the pain. He'd wake up a sweaty mess with a rough throat, tingling legs, and breathless lungs. Usually he was alone, or at least those who were in close enough vicinity didn't bother waking him from the nightmares anymore. Even Jak was becoming used to the terror at night, although for him it was more like he was expecting the familiar visions to turn his entire world upside down and force him relive the worst two years of his life.
However, when the door to his bedroom swung open and a tired, distinctive voice greeted him with genuine concern, Jak forgot to breathe for a second and not because his lungs had just been overworked. No, for three years no one cared. It was kill or be killed, stay on top or be left behind, so he had gotten used to that mentality. Being home, being back in his old life with his best friend, was now foreign to him, but it was a comfort nonetheless. At least someone cared again.
"Dax?" Jak asked, voice sounding like gravel as he shielded his eyes from the bright hallway light seeping in through the open doorway.
"You alright, buddy? You were screamin'."
"Uh, yeah, I'm—"
"Daxxie? Jak? Ya'll okay?" Tess snuck into the doorway, blocking some of the harsh light and glancing between the redhead and the blond with tired concern.
"Yeah, Snookums, we're good here. Go back to bed, yeah?" Dax drowsily winked at her, interrupting himself with a heavy yawn before watching her nod, cast Jak a sad smile, and then disappear.
Daxter flicked on the lamp, bathing the room in a pale, yellow light, before he closed the door and sat down on the corner of the bed. For once, the talkative redhead didn't say a word. Patience wasn't his's highest skill, but when it came to Jak, he could wait an eternity and not mutter a peep.
"Sorry," Jak eventually ground out, hanging his head and staring at his hands that rested on his lap.
"For what? Havin' a nightmare?" Daxter scoffed. "Can't be helped. No need to be sorry."
"I woke you and Tess."
"So? You could wake me up every hour on the hour and I wouldn't complain—much." The redhead smiled, but the gesture wasn't returned. "What's up, buddy? You've been here a few days now and all you seem to do is mope. I've seen how ya sneak out at night, too. What's eatin' ya?"
Jak shook his head, reverting to his mute self, as he had done when they were children.
Daxter sighed, opting to fill the silence himself since it was obvious the blond was choosing the silent route. "Y'know, you're different. I know ya are. You're still Jak somewhere under that hardened exterior, but yer not the same. What happened to ya out there, big guy? I can't help if I don't know what I'm dealing with." A short pause. "I don't wanna push ya, but I'm worried. At least talk to me, or just say something. You don't have to tell me everything, I don't think I want to know everything. Just talk. Let me know yer alright. I've heard that soldiers who come home aren't always the same as when they left. I can understand that. I know you've seen some things that no man should have to see in his lifetime, but I'm not a dimwit, Jak. Yer home a year early. Ya stopped writin' after a year. Somethin' happened out there."
Jak glanced up at him, not surprised in the least at just how perceptive the redhead could be. He wanted to tell his best friend all the horrors he had faced, all of the torture he had endured, but what good would it do? He'd only put bad images in Daxter's head and make him worry needlessly, and besides, Jak honestly didn't want to talk about it. Talking meant reliving it, and what he went through deserved to be buried.
"Why'd ya stop writin'?" Daxter leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, interrupting the blond's thoughts. "At least tell me that much."
The ex-soldier released a shaky breath, moving his hands to cover his face and hold his head in his palms. He spoke quietly, so quiet that he felt the bed dip as Daxter got closer to hear him better. "They don't tell you everything until it's too late."
"What do you mean?" Daxter raised an eyebrow, tilting his head to the side.
With a shuddering sigh, Jak released a torrent of information he'd hoped to just bury, but suddenly it was spilling from his lips without his permission, "I wasn't expecting to jump straight into the action. I wasn't expecting to be sent out on the frontlines with just a rifle and told to shoot anything that moved." He paused to catch himself, his next words coming out as barely a whisper, "I wasn't expecting to be thrown away and 'fed' to those creeps. To the Metal Heads."
Daxter tilted his head, his eyes growing wide as he took in this information.
The blond didn't wait for his companion to respond before adding, "Least of all, I never expected to become their plaything."
"Plaything?"
"In prison," Jak spat, moving his hands from his face and returning them to his lap. He clenched both into fists and kept his gaze cast angrily down at the cotton sheet covering his legs, as if that fabric were the one to cause all of his problems.
Daxter laughed nervously. "Uh, what do ya mean 'prison,' Jak?"
"That's why I didn't write you anymore." Jak shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut, hands flexing before refolding into fists.
"By the Precursors," Daxter whispered, straightening his posture and staring at the wall dead ahead. For once in the redhead's life, he was at an utter loss for words and was the one to fall mute.
The two shared an oddly comfortable silence as Daxter soaked in this new information.
It explained so much, like how jumpy Jak was or how he kept to himself a lot of the time even when Daxter was around. This was all the more reason to try and get him out and about to live life instead of wasting away in fear, but at least now Daxter had an understandable reason for his best friend's newly acquired, reclusive demeanor.
The redhead slowly turned to look at the ex-soldier, a deep sadness taking over his otherwise cheery face as he tried to say something, anything, to comfort his lifelong friend. Nothing came to mind, and instead he was left gaping like a fish out of water as he tried desperately to break the building silence.
Jak beat him to it.
"I learned some things while I was in captivity." The blond lifted his head and looked at his best friend with a tight-lipped smile and hard eyes. There was a deep pain underlying the vivid blue of his irises, and paired with the poor lighting, the color almost appeared purple. "The leader of the Metal Heads is conspiring with the Baron."
At this, Daxter's eyes rivaled the size of a dinner plate. "What?"
"Turns out that they don't tell us anything even remotely close to the truth about this war. All of those newscasters are full of it, and the government is even worse. How could they send us out there to our deaths without batting an eye?" Jak's face contorted into a combination of anger and sorrow, a look that used to be rare but lately held a new sort of prominence.
Before being sent off to fight, Jak was a happy man. Being just barely eighteen when he signed up to serve his country and help put an end to the rumblings in the desert, he had no reason to be angry. He had been so excited to get out and help, to get out and do something to make the world a better place. Now all Daxter saw was a broken man who'd matured alone in a place where his comrades were being picked off before his eyes. He saw a man who lost his spark of peace, his last slice of happiness, all because he was sent to the slaughterhouse.
Daxter swallowed thickly, barely managing to scrape out his next words. "How'd you make it out of there?"
Jak looked up from the bedding to stare at his friend. "His name was Sig."
Daxter shook his head and looked at the blond in a short moment of stunned silence. When the redhead finally found his voice again, he laughed humorlessly. "I owe this man a thousand thanks."
The blond nodded mutely, returning his gaze back to his lap as he pondered a new round of thoughts bombarding his mind. He wondered what had happened to Sig. After he was saved, he honestly didn't remember much. It was a blur, but whatever the case, he just hoped the man whom he owed his life to had made it out alive.
Daxter swallowed another lump and frowned, crossing his arms and resting one hand just under his chin in thought. After a beat of silence, he asked softly, "Will you be okay?"
Jak faltered, not sure how to answer the question, but slowly he nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine."
The redhead smiled sadly at him, not oblivious to the slight hesitation but deciding against pointing it out. He turned his head away with a deep frown replacing his somber smile, staring at the nightstand. "What can I do?"
"Don't worry about it. I'll be okay, Dax. If I need to talk, I'll find you." The blond smiled, the exhaustion evident on his face as he tried to uplift his friend's spirits even when he himself was down and broken.
Jak surprised himself by how much he shared, but he felt almost a touch lighter having gotten even that small bit of information off his chest. It was a start.
Daxter simply nodded and stood, resisting the urge to place a hand on the blond's shoulder. "I'm still gonna worry, big guy. Yer my only family, excluding Tess of course. Yer important to me, and the fact that this happened boils my blood to no end. If I ever get my hands on those pricks who hurt ya, they'll be prayin' to the Precursors, wishin' that they hadn't messed with the wrong guys."
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Fruit Loops floated aimlessly in a bowl of milk. Periodically, a spoon pushed them around, disturbing the peace. Sometimes the spoon would come down and crush one of the sugary circles, or push it under the milk and hold it there before releasing it.
Jak would watch with tired eyes as the colorful bit of cereal would bubble back to the surface after being submerged, and then he'd resume the cycle with another sugary bit. Once Daxter left him after his nightmare, Jak couldn't fall back to sleep. Every time he tried, shadows of his recent past danced behind his lids and jolted him back to sluggish alertness.
His mind had raced with too many emotions, too many thoughts and worries, so he ended up lying there, staring at the darkened ceiling, until sunlight crept through his drawn curtains and officially roused him from bed.
And now here he sat, still plagued by the same darkened thoughts and crushing worry as he was when Daxter tried to comfort him.
So lost in thought now, Jak hadn't heard the soft footsteps joining him in the kitchen. He hadn't seen the body move to stand in front of him, or notice how the person cleared their throat to get his attention.
A firm "Jak" suddenly startled him though, and he abruptly dropped his spoon into his bowl with a loud clank before snapping to attention.
Tess stood before him, dressed in denim shorts and a green tank top. A headband pulled her blonde hair back, but her bangs fell loose and framed her face. She was frowning at him, concern glinting in her blue eyes.
"Yeah?" Jak tried to cover his jumpiness with a clearing of the throat, but obviously, the woman staring at him didn't buy it.
"How are you holding up?" She tilted her head, that concerned look replaced with a warm smile. Tess had been a friend for years, and when he and Daxter had met her for the first time one evening at the old Hip Hog Heaven Saloon, the redhead had taken an instant liking to her. Jak always knew that they'd end up together even though Daxter had been skeptical due to his homely looks.
The blonde cast him a sideways look as she moved from the table and opened the fridge. After a moment of looking, she retrieved a bottle of water and turned to look at the ex-soldier with her full attention.
"Fine." Jak nodded, eyeing the woman skeptically.
"Good." She smiled. "Did you have any plans for the day?"
Jak shook his head without missing a beat. "Nope."
"Did you want to have plans for the day?" She raised an eyebrow, a playful smile now twisting her lips instead.
The ex-soldier chuckled. "Well, that depends on what you have in mind."
"Visiting Keira." She cracked open her water bottle and took a long drink, before recapping it and putting it on the counter to her left. Tess leaned her backside against the kitchen counter and chuckled. "I told her you were back and she got excited. She wants to see you."
Jak rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, knowing that he should have told the green-haired woman that he was back days ago. He just couldn't bring himself to do it, though. He knew Tess was good friends with Keira, so it wasn't a surprise that the news regarding his return spilled.
After another quiet moment of contemplating, the blond nodded his head. "Yeah. It'd be good to see her."
Tess grinned, pushing off the counter and snatching up her bottle of water. "When would you like to go?"
Jak looked down at his bowl of soggy cereal and then right back up to Tess. "I suppose now works." It wasn't like he was going to be finishing that mess he left his bowl, and he wasn't exactly hungry at the moment anyway.
Daxter chose then to saunter into the kitchen; sweat pants untied, shirt missing, and a lazy smile plastered on his face. He nodded to Jak and winked at Tess. "Mornin'."
"Mornin', Daxxie." Tess leaned over when Daxter met her near the counter and gave him a quick peck to the cheek.
The redhead hummed, whispering something in the blonde's ear that Jak, thankfully, couldn't hear. Whatever it was caused her to start giggling, and she covered her mouth partially with a hand before Daxter broke away with a grin and fetched himself a bowl from the cupboard.
"Ya sleep okay, big guy?" Daxter asked over his shoulder, removing the box of Fruit Loops from the next cupboard over and proceeding to fill his bowl.
"Yeah, slept fine." Jak shrugged, standing and taking his bowl to the sink to wash. He decided to change the subject before either of his companions chose to comment. "Are we all going to see Keira?"
"We're gonna go see Keira?" Daxter raised an eyebrow, snacking on a few dry pieces of cereal from his own bowl before he drowned the sugary bits in milk.
"She wants to see Jak," Tess chimed in, "And I think it'd be good for all of us to get out of the house together and go see a friend."
"Right, right." The redhead nodded, plopping down at the table, only to realize too late that he had forgotten to grab a spoon. "Tessie, ya mind gra—oh." Tess already had a spoon held out for him, laughter escaping her lips as he gratefully took the utensil with a happy sigh.
"What would I do without ya?"
"For starters, you'd probably be trying to eat your cereal with a butter knife again." She leaned over and planted a warm kiss on his forehead.
"Hey! That was one time, woman!" He brandished his spoon at Tess, but the threatening tone and gesture shattered from his laughter.
"Twice, but who's counting?" She gave the redhead's shoulders a firm squeeze before darting away and toward the staircase. "All right, boys, I'll be down at the bar. When you're ready we'll get going to the Stadium."
Jak realized he hadn't bothered washing his dish. He'd been entranced by watching the exchange between Daxter and Tess, and even when she disappeared down the stairs, he couldn't help the surge of happiness that overcame him. They really were perfect for each other.
"Jak? Buddy? You okay? Yer, uh, fading out of focus here." Daxter tilted his head to the side.
Snapping himself out of it, the blond smiled reassuringly. "Yeah, I'm fine. A little tired, but fine."
"Right, well, I guess we'll be skedaddlin' as soon as we're ready."
Jak hummed, finishing washing up his mess before he excused himself to his room to get dressed. He was feeling a little nervous about meeting with the green-haired woman, but he knew he had to get over this. He couldn't just ignore her, just like he couldn't ignore his problems.
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The trip to the Stadium in Daxter's beat up, crudely painted orange cruiser, a vehicle that he and Jak had actually scrounged up money for before the latter decided to join the army, took roughly half an hour. It was weird to see how the city hadn't actually changed as much as he had expected it to, but he supposed that was a good thing.
Once at the Stadium, the trio parked and made their way up the stairs on the left, passing through the security gates and toward the racing garages. Entering the first archway they came to, a section of the garage that openly connected to the next room, they met with cluttered tables and partial vehicles, along with heavy machinery and various types of equipment.
"The Demolition Duo, and lovely blonde babe, have arrived!" Daxter announced with a flourish, earning a giggle from Tess and a roll of the eyes from Jak.
Keira Hagai, the green-haired mechanic who Jak and Daxter had been friends with since they were children, emerged from the neighboring room with a wrench in hand and a bewildered look on her face. Apparently, no one told her to expect company.
Her eyes fell on Jak, and any reprimanding phrase she might have been preparing to dish out died on her tongue. She suddenly closed the distance between herself and the ex-soldier and wrapped her arms too tightly around his neck in an embrace.
Jak couldn't help the flinch that wracked his body from the sudden contact, but before he could react, Keira was letting go and stepping back to admire the man before her. If she noticed his lack of enthusiasm at the embrace, or the sheer fact he didn't return the gesture, then she chose to not say anything on the matter.
"I'm so glad you're back, and that you're okay!" Keira clasped her hands together, but noticed she was still holding a wrench and put it down on a table near her.
"It's good to be back," He smiled faintly, running a hand through the short locks of hair at the back of his neck.
The mechanic folded her arms in front of her, donning a thoughtful look. "Weren't you supposed to serve another year before they let you go?"
Jak hesitated, averting his gaze to the table beside her. "Yeah, I was supposed to. Some, uh, complications came up and they let me go early."
"Well, either way, we're all happy to see you back. You'll have to stop by my place later and say hello to Daddy. He's been worried about you." She smiled gently at the blond.
"Yeah, will do," The ex-soldier nodded almost robotically, his eyes moving away from Keira and over toward Daxter and Tess, the latter of which was no longer near them but instead was standing in the second archway leading into the other part of the garage, the one Hagai had come from, speaking to a woman with blue hair.
Keira followed his gaze, but before she could speak, Daxter beat her to the punch.
"Ah, good ol' Bloo has made an appearance at last. I was wonderin' when she'd show up. She sure knows how to brighten anyone's mood."
"Bloo?" Jak raised an eyebrow, looking between Keira and Daxter.
"Her name is Taryn," Keira answered, chuckling at the nickname.
"Taryn?"
The redhead laughed, "An old work buddy. She and I used to do some exterminator jobs around town until the business closed. Now she works here with Keira as a mechanic-in-training. How about introducing yerself?" Daxter pulled on Jak's arm, tugging him toward the two women.
Jak could hear their hushed tones as they discussed something probably important. He couldn't make out exactly what they were saying, but as they neared the duo, the hushed words became clearer.
"—Underground is looking for new recruits. I was thinking maybe—"
But the loudmouth he called his brother whistled at that moment, interrupting the intriguing conversation and earning a smile from Tess and an amused look from the blue-haired beauty to her side. Green eyes suddenly met with blue and a more serious smile turned the mysterious woman's lips.
The ex-soldier would be lying if he said his heart didn't stutter just a little.
"Ah, you must be Jak." Her voice was lightly tinted with an unfamiliar accent.
He nodded. "And you must be Taryn."
She hummed and shifted her weight, resting one hand on a hip. "I've heard a lot about you."
"Terrible things, I presume?" Jak smiled. He couldn't help but let his eyes wander briefly, glancing over the red crop top and loose cargo pants she wore. When his attention snapped back to her face, he noticed how her blue locks were pulled into a low ponytail, loose strands falling around her face.
"Depends on who I was talking to, really." She winked, maintaining eye contact for a moment before she broke it to face Keira. "Got anything for me to work on today?"
"Just the usual repairs." Keira shrugged, gesturing to where some of the racing bikes were leaning on kickstands in a neat row near the far wall. "Oh! Actually, we did have a new racing model come in a few days ago." Excitement lit up Hagai's countenance as she turned on her heel and made way for a curtain concealing the back corner of the room. She paused to wave at Jak. "We'll talk more later when we've got time."
The ex-soldier returned the gesture, but his attention was grabbed by a streak of blue crossing his vision.
Taryn smiled briefly at Jak as she passed him, trailing the mechanic until she reached the cloth blockade.
Jak had been watching her retreating backside until she glanced over her shoulder with a smirk. "I'll be seeing you around, Blondie." And then she was gone, the curtain flapping closed behind her and successfully cutting his view off.
"Yeah." The ex-soldier blinked slowly, the nickname reminding him of an old buddy he knew in the army. He looked back at Tess and Daxter and raised an eyebrow, taken aback by the looks on their faces. "What?"
Tess hid a smile with her hand, but she didn't bother stopping her laughter from slipping free. "Oh, nothing."
Daxter simply smirked and nudged Jak in the ribs. "Gotcha eyes on somethin', huh?"
Suddenly Jak's cheeks took on a light tinge of pink, and he pushed past the two as he hurriedly left the garage, his reunion with the mechanic cut short. "I don't know what you're talking about."
The busty blonde smiled innocently. "Don't think we're gonna let this slip by, Jak."
Ignoring their continued laughter and quiet murmurings, Jak, joined by company, climbed into their rusty cruiser. Before he started the vehicle, however, his mind returned to the snippet of conversation he had heard. A thousand questions swirled around his brain, and he knew the only way to get answers was to ask.
Now was as good a time as ever.
He looked to Tess, who had apparently called shotgun as she sat in the passenger seat, and narrowed his eyes at her. He remained quiet for a long minute, which earned him a curious eyebrow raise from the blonde barmaid.
"Yes, Jak?"
"Who's looking for new recruits?"
Tess hesitated, looking to Daxter for reassurance, who nodded at her.
Jak followed her stare, narrowing his gaze now at Daxter. "You know too?"
"It's a resistance group who opposes the Baron," Tess answered, bringing Jak's confused stare back onto her. "We're working to end Baron Praxis' oppression on Haven."
"Tattooed Wonder is one of the orchestrators for the whole deal, him and this dude called The Shadow. I ain't never met that one, but I haven't been in this little group for very long." Daxter leaned his elbows on the backs of both front seats, sloping forward between Jak and Tess with a toothy grin.
"Tattooed Wonder?" The ex-soldier stared at his friend with an amused chuckle.
"Yeah, he's a weirdo, but a good guy, I suppose. Hard to trust 'im when he's in with the enemy, but whatever," The redhead carelessly flicked a wrist.
Tess rolled her eyes. "He's talking about Torn. He's a Captain in the Krimzon Guard, but he's looking to get out. So, he may be among the 'enemy,' but he's not one of them, per say."
"Same difference." Daxter shrugged.
"Were you asking Taryn to join?" Jak tilted his head, keeping his voice low. He started up the cruiser then, gliding it out of the parking space before joining the traffic.
"Yeah. She's got some good information and contacts. She's not officially with us, but sometimes she'll pass on some useful info or work a job or two." Tess smiled. "Did you want to join the cause, too?"
"That depends. What would I have to do?" Jak countered.
"Honestly? Pass on information and help us any way you feel comfortable." Tess shrugged, crossing her arms as they hovered through the streets, passing the Water Slums and heading into the shady part of town. "We could really use all the help we can get."
Jak hummed, noticing how the traffic seemed to pick up all of a sudden. He glanced at his quiet passengers, noticing how Tess was staring thoughtfully at the buildings to her right and Daxter was resting his elbow on the armrest looking bored.
They were halfway through the Slums and heading for the Industrial Zone, when Jak spoke up, "I'd like to join."
Tess turned to look at him, and Daxter perked up with interest.
"Really?" The blonde barmaid smiled.
Jak nodded. "All I've wanted to do was help, Tess. That's why I joined the Army. I wasn't able to help that way, so maybe I can help this way instead? I'll do what I can for the cause. At least I'll be doing something, which is better than sitting and moping, as you called it." At the last bit, he cast a playful smirk toward the redhead.
Daxter leaned forward again, interest coloring his expression as he caught and held Jak's stare. After a long minute of silence passed between the two, Daxter switched his gaze to Tess with a massive grin. "Jak's got some juicy bits on the Baron, anyway. His information could really change the game, y'know?"
Tess' eyes widened. "Seriously?"
"Seriously." Jak dipped his head curtly.
"Well, what is it?" Tess was nearly bouncing in her seat, her curiosity in the matter becoming hard to contain.
Jak shrugged at Daxter, who took the invitation with pleasure. "The Metal Heads are in cahoots with the Baron."
Tess didn't have anything to say to that right away. A cloud of shock briefly overshadowed her eyes, before a realization hit her slowly. "That makes sense, actually. One of the last puzzle pieces finally clicking into place." She shifted in her seat to look at Daxter, "We have to tell Torn."
"Do you want to go now?" Jak glanced at his passengers. "Considering we're already out and about."
"If you don't mind?" Tess chewed on her bottom lip.
The blond shook his head. If they didn't go do this now, he doubted he'd be in the mood for it later. He already didn't feel like dealing with a new face, but he supposed he'd spent long enough sitting around doing nothing. This was his time to finally do something, which was what he wanted all along.
"Where to, then?" Jak turned his gaze on the airway in front of them, awaiting directions.
Tess beamed, but Daxter was the one to navigate. "Turn around when ya get a chance. We already passed it."
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The Underground was located in probably the worst part of town—the Slums. They walked past numerous people who had seen better days, most of which apparently didn't have a shower, let alone know what one was.
To think this town, his town, had a part of the city this bad made Jak more than a little angry, but he held back any comments as the trio continued to walk from where they parked their cruiser to an alley that dead-ended, avoiding potholes along the way.
They came to a door that slowly slid open for them, and Jak followed behind Daxter and Tess inside the crude hideout.
"Hey there, Tattooed Wonder! How's life treatin' ya?" Daxter gave a mock salute to a man leaning against a rounded table in the middle of the room. Said table held various maps and papers, and on the back wall, newspaper clippings decorated the stone in seemingly random order. Some were marked with red pen, while others showed signs of old age, the yellowed tint to the paper and torn edges being the giveaways.
The tattooed man grunted, eyes locking onto the blond, who was a whole head taller than the redhead leading him in. He didn't give Daxter the light of day, but he did nod mutely at Tess as the trio fanned out around the table.
The hideout was smaller than Jak initially expected, but upon further inspection, he realized it housed everything a hideout might need. That included bunkbeds, which stood in rows lining the hallway just after the stairs to the main entrance, a fireplace, which stood nearly forgotten to the left, a sorry excuse for a kitchen off to the right, and a smaller hallway branching off from the kitchen that revealed two closed doorways.
With a scowl, the dreadlocked man grumbled, "And to what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Introductions and information," Tess smiled, leaning her hands on the table as she briefly caught the tattooed man's gaze.
"Jak, this is Torn, Torn, this is Jak." Daxter took it upon himself to introduce the two, smiling and gesturing to each man in turn.
Jak nodded, deciding to remain quiet, but kept eye contact. Torn appeared to be well-built, and he was wearing casual attire of a white T-shirt and black jeans. The intricate tattoo on the man's face was something Jak had never seen before, and it made him wonder why anyone in their right mind would get something like that on such a visible part of their body.
Torn had the same idea to fall into silence as the two had a soundless staring contest, sizing one another up. It wasn't until Daxter loudly interrupted that Torn ripped his gaze away to look at the obnoxious redhead.
"Jak here has some dirt on the Baron, that's the information part of our little visit." Daxter moved to stand beside his friend, looking up at him encouragingly and nudging said male with an elbow.
"Does he now?" The dreadlocked male crossed his arms, turning those scrutinizing eyes on the blond as he waited to hear what he had to say.
Jak cast a quick glance to Daxter before he focused on Torn. A sudden lump formed in his throat, but he moved past it. This was important to get out, and he wouldn't let himself stand in his own way. "I overheard the Metal Head leader speaking with a representative from Baron Praxis. They're working together for some reason."
Torn's expression didn't seem to change from the news, but he did cast his eyes downward in a thoughtful silence. After a few long minutes, he slowly nodded his head. "I had a feeling something like this was happening. It adds up with what I overheard from the palace a little while ago." Suddenly the brunet straightened and locked his eyes back on Jak. "If you want to join us, you'll have to prove yourself. Just a little tidbit of information isn't enough to win my trust, even if you are friends with Tess."
"I hope you're not expecting me to kiss ass."
Torn chuckled, a tight smile temporarily replacing his scowl. "Manual labor is more my sort of thing."
"So I'll be doing all the crap you don't want to do until you deem me trustworthy?" Jak tilted his head, crossing his arms.
"Take it or leave it, newbie," Torn challenged.
Jak grunted, leaving his answer to be interpreted by the following silence.
Daxter frowned, "Man, you got off easy compared to me. You know what this asshat had me do? Deliver a damn package to someone all the way across to the Stadium. When I got there, the person said I was at the wrong place and sent me to the Gardens instead. From there it was to the bar, then to the Water Slums, and eventually I made my way back to Torn, here." With a grumpy pout, Daxter crossed his arms. "And you know what he said to me?" The redhead cleared his throat, attempting to imitate Torn—although doing a poor job. "Oh, thanks. I've been expecting a package any minute now." He threw his hands up in the air, but all he received was a snicker from Torn, a comforting pat from Tess, and a roll of the eyes from Jak.
The tattooed man switched the conversation back onto the blond after Daxter's vocal escapade was over, "So, what's your story?"
"What do you mean?" The blond raised an eyebrow.
"You were in the army?"
"Yeah. I served just past Spargus, fighting in the war."
"Surprised you made it back in one piece. Usually those who get sent out that far don't come back. I heard they've been sending all the newbies to the frontlines." He leaned his backside against the table, tilting his head to the side. "I served my time, too. If it weren't for an injury taking me out of active duty I would still probably be out there or dead by now. Although the KG aren't any better in my opinion."
Jak crossed his arms. "I think I would have rather taken my chances being with the KG than out there on the frontlines. At least guarding the city has a purpose. What they had us doing out there was pointless."
"It's always been a pointless effort. Those Metal Head bastards don't stop." Torn glanced down at the maps.
Jak moved his head in agreement, but a thought struck him. "How are you still in the KG but also running a resistance? Won't you get caught?"
"Probably, if I stay in the guard any longer than I am. I'll be defecting soon enough."
Jak didn't get the chance to respond due to Daxter's cheery voice cutting in, "And when you defect you'll be a wanted man, won'tcha?"
"I will, but that's what I have rats like you for."
Daxter snorted. "It ain't like you'll be trapped in here. You can show yer face, can'tcha?"
"Yeah, because these tattoos just wash right off." Torn rolled his eyes, but before the redhead could retort the brunet flicked a hand toward them. "As soon as I've got something for you, I'll let you know." He then turned to Tess. "Any luck?"
The blonde shook her head. "No. I did talk to her though. She said she's thinking about it. If she stops by here one of these days then you know what her answer is."
Torn shrugged. "I guess so long as she keeps feeding us information I don't exactly care."
Tess nodded, changing the subject, "How's Ashe?"
Raising one eyebrow, the brunet looked at the blonde with mild amusement. "She's fine. Busy, like we all are."
She hummed, "As long as you're both doing good, then." She faced the redhead and fellow blond. "You boys ready to go?"
Daxter nodded, but Jak furrowed his brows.
"Who's Ashe?"
"None of your business, that's who," Torn countered.
The ex-soldier wore his mouth in a tight line. "Then what about this 'Shadow' person?"
The brunet's eyes narrowed. "My answer remains the same"
When Jak tried to retort, the dreadlocked man interrupted him. "When you've earned my trust, maybe The Shadow will feel like meeting you and maybe you'll meet Ashe. Until then, you'll be The Underground's lapdog."
Jak huffed, but the bubbly blonde cut in between the two men with a smile, "We'll be seeing you then, Torn. Take care of yourself, okay?" Tess patted him gently on the arm before moving past her boyfriend and the ex-soldier toward the hideout entrance.
Daxter grinned, too much enthusiasm lacing his words, "Alrighty then, Tattooed Wonder! We'll be seein' ya!"
Jak wordlessly followed the duo as they made it back outside, the heavy metal door clicking closed with a loud thunk. So many questions were whirling through his mind, most of which he could probably finagle out of his current company, but he chose to sit back and wait instead. Now didn't feel like the right time to go prying into affairs he only just touched the surface of.
"Isn't he a ray of sunshine?" Daxter remarked with a chuckle, looking over at Jak with a toothy grin.
The blond joined his laughter, letting his dampened mood lighten. "Yeah, but honestly he doesn't seem too bad. Got a temper, but then again, so do I. Weirdest thing is probably those tattoos, really."
"I hear it's a guard thing, so even if you defect they know," Daxter commented with a shrug of his shoulders.
Tess nodded. "Only high-ranking officials, though. If a guard takes off his helmet, he reverts to his normal self. He can mingle with the common folk and no one would be any the wiser, but a Captain is forced to live with his choices etched onto his face, so not only he knows, but the people, too."
Jak didn't have anything to say to that. The very idea of marking people like that made him sick. And here he was thinking that the Metal Heads were worse, but all along the Baron, the leader of Haven City, was just as bad as the people they were sent out to fight.
