A/N: I'm not late! It's still Thursday somewhere. I feel like a broken record saying thanks for the reviews, but I can't properly express how much they mean to me. XD You all are awesome.

DISCLAIMER: Is in the first chapter. If Jak and Daxter were mine...well...I wouldn't be writing this fanfiction because this would have happened in the game.

Jak and Daxter: A Twist of Fate
by Jam

The next day started blissfully late. Daxter was only awakened by the sound of the explorer's annoying accent, which he must have picked up on his travels somewhere because no one in Sandover talked like that. The young teen poked his head out from under the sheets and saw that Jak was trying to explain to his uncle what had happened the other day and why he and Daxter had been gone longer than usual. The explorer was taking things well, but maybe that wasn't so surprising. He had traveled everywhere, even past the places that were marked on the map, and he must have seen some odd things over the years. Maybe waking up and see his nephew with horns was about as shocking as waking up and seeing snow outside – a strange phenomena but nothing to freak out over.

"Well, you seem to have gotten yourself into sticky wicket, m'boy. No matter. I'm sure you'll be right as rain in no time. You always were good at figuring these things out. Not like that simple little friend of yours…" his uncle was saying. Daxter buried his head under the sheets and added Jak's uncle to the list of people he wouldn't mind being mauled by Lurkers. He couldn't wait to get out of this village. Who cared if his life was probably going to be in peril – at least he would be away from these people. They had collected nineteen Power Cells the other day at Geyser Rock and on Misty Island, and they only needed one more before they could go. "You're going off on your first real adventure, m'boy! There's nothing like that first one. I say, I do believe I have a Power Cell stashed around here somewhere. You did say you needed one, didn't you? What kind of uncle would I be if I didn't invest in my nephew's first journey into the vast unknown? Here, I hope you put this Power Cell to good use! And take this map. I hope this will be useful in your quest. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have my own adventure to attend to! Cheerio! Ta-ta! Bye-bye!"

Daxter could hear the clunk-pad-clunk-pad of Jak's uncle strutting out of the house with his staff. So maybe the guy had his uses and he didn't deserve to be mauled, but he still didn't have to insult Daxter when he was barely two feet away from the guy. He could at least have the decency to do it behind his back. He was sick and tired of people treating him like scum. What was it about him that pissed people off so much? Jak liked him! He would go insane if it wasn't for Jak's friendship. But everyone else seemed to almost hate him by instinct. Even Keira really only seemed to tolerate him because he sort of came with the Jak package. But enough moping. Jak liked him, and Jak was awesome. That was enough. So what if 99% of the people he knew probably wouldn't care if he got eaten by a Lurker shark tomorrow? Screw them. They were just missing out on the awesomeness that was Daxter.

He was so wrapped in his thoughts that he didn't hear his friend creeping up on him until it was too late. A tingling, prickly sensation started at the nape of Daxter's neck and dragged lightly down his spine, and it felt so weird that he shrieked and flailed. He tumbled to the floor in a mass of tangled sheets and growled when he heard Jak cackling above him. With some effort, the younger teen managed to free at least his head from the mess of sheets and he glared up at Jak in mock anger. "You just wait 'til I get outta this, Jak, and then you're gonna pay!"

Jak shook his head and ran out of the house, and Daxter did his best to worm his way out of the sheets and chased after him. He was nowhere in sight when he made it outside, which wasn't a good sign. That just meant that Jak was hiding somewhere waiting for the opportune moment to-.

"Gah!" A blur of blue and silver rammed into him and the two boys went tumbling down the hill and into the sand of the beach. Daxter laughed as they mock wrestled, again taking advantage of Jak's reluctance to accidentally skewer him with his claws. He didn't win this time – Jak was on to him and was quick to dodge any attempts to get at his ribs – but it was close. He might've won, too, if the crazy old bird lady hadn't stumbled upon them.

"Oh my!" the two boys froze in place at the birdwatcher's startled exclamation and blinked up to see her goggling at them through her oversized binoculars. "Unhand that poor, sickly bird you terrible brute!"

"What bird a-." was all Daxter managed to say before a pair of binoculars came swinging at him. He yelped as the ocular equipment came within inches of knocking him in the teeth and fell backwards in his attempt to get away. He had known the bird lady was crazy, but she had always seemed so sweet tempered before! He threw up an arm to block the next incoming attack, but it never came. What came instead was a terrified cry and the sound of metal being crushed. He peeked over his arm and blanched at what he saw. It was homicidal Jak all over again, the same one who had taken down an army of Lurkers the night before last, except this time it was a little old lady he was eyeing viciously. His fangs were bared and the purple lightning was crackling and snapping around him like little whips of energy. The offending binoculars were a crumpled heap in the sand, discarded and forgotten. The bird lady's eyes were wide with fear and her ridiculous hat shook back and forth as she trembled with fear. "You're not a Horned Slaty-Breasted Long-Eared Screamer!" was all she managed to get out before her panic overtook her and she turned and bolted toward the village. Shoot, Daxter would have booked it, too, if he'd been on the receiving end of that glare.

This was the third time Jak had lashed out uncharacteristically, but this was definitely a lot more serious than some angry growl. He had crushed those binoculars like they were made out of eggshells, and Daxter shuddered to think what might have happened if he had grabbed the old birdwatcher instead. He knew that, under normal circumstances, Jak would never hurt a fly, but this situation was about as far from normal as they could get. The orange-haired teen certainly hadn't appreciated being assaulted, but it wouldn't have been the first time and it definitely wasn't anything to maul anyone over. He didn't like the way the Dark Eco seemed to be…changing Jak. None of the other Ecos had an effect on his appearance or attitude like this, but, then again, Jak had never jumped into a pool of pure Blue Eco before. Daxter thought he might prefer Jak blue and twitchy than pale and homicidal, but he'd really just rather have him lemon-headed, blue-eyed and back to normal.

It didn't feel right approaching Jak like he was some sort of rabid animal, but he didn't know what would set the older boy off when he was like this and he really wanted to avoid being skewered. Instead of just coming up behind Jak like he usually would, he skirted around him to approach him from the front and tried not to flinch when that ebony gaze snapped onto him.

"Uh, Jak? Ya might wanna tone it down a little bit. I don't wanna deal with an angry mob first thing in the morning." He could just imagine it now. The villagers might not seem like much, but that fisherman could probably snap them both like twigs and the sculptor was pretty good with a hammer and chisel. "You're supposed to be nice to little old ladies – especially senile ones."

Jak's eyes widened as it finally seemed to sink in that he had practically attacked one of the sweetest (usually) members of the village. The lighting settled abruptly, almost disappearing completely, and his ears drooped pathetically. He made to go after the birdwatcher but Daxter stopped him with a hand on his chest.

"I don't really think chasin' after her's the best way to go on this. Ya might give her a heart attack," and the other villagers might attack first and ask questions later, and there might not be a 'later' for them if they attack. Jak seemed like he was about to try and argue, but Samos chose that moment to brighten their lives with his presence.

"For once, Daxter might actually be right," Samos the Sage, condescending as ever, was walking toward them from the village. The younger teen didn't appreciate the backhanded compliment. "She's already gotten the village in a frenzy. What on earth have you two been up to? You act as if the world isn't in peril!"

"Keep yer pants on; we were only playin'," Daxter muttered, coming off more surly than he usually did when confronted with Samos. Jak frowned at him in concern and even Samos seemed to note the difference, but he thankfully didn't comment. "So what's the plan?"

"There's no way this village is capable of defending itself from a full out attack from the Lurkers. I've noticed the increase in Lurker activity on both Sentinel Beach and in the jungle, and there's no way this lot could handle an attack from three sides," Samos explained glancing disdainfully around the village. "The best course of action would be to activate the warp gate so that we could ask the other villages for aid or evacuate if need be. Unfortunately, we don't have a way of opening the other Sage's gates because you two have been fooling around!"

"Well, we just got the last Power Cell this morning," Daxter said with a smirk and a shared glance with Jak. He rolled his shoulders and smiled smugly down at Samos, who looked like someone had just sneezed in his tea. "So, uh, if you'll excuse us, the brave adventurers have got work to do. We'll get that gate opened for you."

Old Samos harrumphed as Daxter sauntered off with Jak in tow. He would never understand teenagers. He rolled his eyes and headed toward the Mayor's house. He would have to worn the eccentric man of the Lurker threat since he doubted the boys had seen fit to do so and see if he couldn't calm down the rest of the village. At least he would be rid of them for at least a couple more hours. Perhaps he could get some research done before they activated the warp gate. But where had wishful thinking ever gotten him?

Further along the beach near the farmer's house and away from Samos's eyes, Jak bumped his shoulder against Daxter's and gave him an odd look. The younger boy shrugged lightly and smiled up at his friend weakly, glad he didn't have to fake a grin with his best friend. "Just stress, ya know? I mean, the past couple o' days haven't exactly been what you'd call a stroll along the beach. First you try to die on me, then you go all homicidal on me, then we have to stop Lurkers from flooding the world with dark ooze, and then we hear they plan on destroying the village, and now we have to go to parts unknown to open this gate before all hell breaks loose, and we still have to eventually go 'far, far to the north' to fix you, and we have no idea where 'far, far to the north' is or what new problems will be waiting there when we get there!"

Daxter had started off alright but he was sort of shrieking by the end of it, the reality of the situation finally catching up with him. Jak winced at the assault on his ears but shrugged sympathetically when Daxter turned to him with panicked eyes. "What're we supposed to do, Jak? Two days ago the worst I had to worry about was remembering to clean Samos' hut before Old Green Stuff got on my case, and now the world is in jeopardy!"

Now Daxter was flailing, which really wasn't a good thing. Jak was the kind of guy who lived by the minute and just sort of took things as they came, but not Daxter. He didn't like change and never reacted very well to it. Something this catastrophic was bound to send him into a panic, and Jak was surprised Daxter had managed to hold it in for so long. He had probably been holding it in until he could freak out away from prying eyes – specifically Samos's. Jak didn't think that Samos would stoop low enough to mock Daxter when he was like this, but Daxter probably wouldn't agree. He'd been ridiculed by the sage for too many years to think that he had any boundaries left. Jak hoped that after all of this Samos would be able to see Daxter differently and treat him better. And if he didn't…well…Daxter didn't need to be around that kind of constant negativity. Daxter acted like he had an ego the size of a Yakow, but Jak knew he really didn't have a lot of self-esteem. That wouldn't change if no one gave him a chance. He had often wondered if it wouldn't be best for Daxter to live in another village, away from the people who had given up on him. The thought of Daxter living somewhere else hurt…but there was no reason why Jak couldn't come with him. He'd always wanted to explore new places…

Jak grabbed Daxter by the wrists to stop him from flailing, which was usually enough to snap Daxter out of a panic – but not this time. His breathing was quick and thready and it wasn't getting any better. He tried to think of another way to help him but none of them sounded like particularly good ideas. Daxter might just drown if he threw him into the sea like this. He drew the other boy closer to him and hugged him to his chest. The purple lighting engulfed him like a web but it didn't seem to be hurting him, so he didn't let go. Daxter froze for a second, but then he seemed to melt. His arms flopped uselessly to his sides and he rested his head on Jak's shoulder. The older boy could feel his chest expand as he took a deep breath, and he took that as a sign that Daxter wasn't about to pass out on him. He didn't let go until Daxter pushed him away lightly and he didn't try to ask if his friend was alright. He knew Daxter wouldn't want to talk about it. The younger boy hated it when he freaked out.

Daxter wanted to be brave, like Jak, but it seemed like all he could be was a coward. Jak was the one with the problems, the one who had gotten the short end of the stick and fallen into the Eco, and yet Daxter was the one who was freaking out. The younger teen knew that Jak didn't see it that way, but Daxter did. He shrugged it off for now and smiled up at Jak, a fake one this time, before continuing along the beach and heading up the rocky path behind the farmer's house that led to Fire Canyon. Jak sighed softly before following.

Keira was kneeling by the Zoomer and adjusting something when they arrived. Daxter winced at the heat of the Fire Canyon, which was essentially a long stretch of hot liquid death. He was glad that Jak had never needed much persuading to stay away from this place. He could just imagine if Jak had fallen into…never mind. He didn't want to imagine it. They were going to have to cross this thing soon and he didn't want any horrible mental images throwing off what little bravado he had managed to scrounge up in the last thirty seconds. He took a deep breath and strutted over to Keira, hoping if he acted like his old self he would feel better about riding over a pit of molten lava that would melt their bones on contact.

"Hey, baby! Whadd'ya say you and I go cruising on this A-Grav Zoomer?" he asked with a suggestive waggle of his eyes. Keira gave him a deadpan look before setting her equipment down and standing.

"I don't date short guys," she said with a hand on her hip.

Daxter leered up at her but he was honestly just teasing. Keira was more like a sister to him than anything. She teased him, but she teased him like Jak teased him. They weren't the blunt insults that came from Samos. And even if she acted like she couldn't stand him most of the time, she was the one who took care of him when he got sick or broke a bone on one of his Jak-related adventures. "Awwwww! You don't know what you're missin'!" he laughed as he made an obscene gesture with his hands, which Jak promptly whacked him over the head for.

"Real alluring, Daxter," she said with a roll of her eyes. She turned to Jak and smiled up at him, a light shining in her eyes that hadn't been there before. "If you both are here you must have finally gotten enough Power Cells. I knew you could do it!"

"Hey! I'm the one that did all the hard work! He just carried the Cells," Daxter snapped with mock indignity. Jak shrugged and smirked at Daxter as he handed over the Power Cells, and the younger boy stuck his tongue out at him.

"You'll need to be careful out there!" Keria warned as she began to install the Power Cells. "The shield will only protect your Zoomer until it reaches 500 degrees, so try to keep her cool. Flying over open lava will definitely heat you up fast! Hit 500 degrees and it's all over?"

"Over?! Like 'burning molten metal' over?!" Jak ran a hand through his hair and hoped that Daxter wasn't about to panic again. Though, even Jak was a little worried. Keira was awesome at what she did, but she had never made anything like this before. Would her Zoomer really be able to get them through the Canyon safely?

"The Fire Canyon get's pretty hot, so keep a lookout for jumps to keep you off the hot ground. I've also released several blue cooling balloons you can use to drop the shield's temperature quickly," Keira continued to explain as if Daxter hadn't said anything. She was so calm about it, as if this was just a stroll along the beach and not a journey of fire and death. "Oh! And when you get across, don't forget to activate the teleport gate in the Blue Sage's Lab! Then we'll be able to teleport over and meet you!"

Daxter glanced dubiously at the Zoomer hovering innocently over the Precursor trans-pad and froze when he noticed something odd. "Uh, Keira? There's only one seat."

"Yea…?" she seemed confused, which did not bode well.

"Well, uh…there's two of us."

Keira's eyebrows raised in surprise as she glanced from Daxter to Jak and back. "You wanted to go? Really? I didn't know. Either way, I didn't design a new Zoomer for this. I just retrofitted my original model with the heat shield, and I didn't want to design a two-seater until I had perfected this one." Which meant that this Zoomer wasn't even perfected yet and she expected Jak to use it to cross LAVA?! "Don't worry. You'll be able to get to Rock Village as soon as Jak turns on the gate."

"I'm much more worried about the skinny, frail elf being sent into a chasm of molten doom on a rickety piece of metal!" Daxter exclaimed heatedly. If Jak felt any offense at being called skinny or frail, he had the wherewithal to keep his opinion to himself.

The green-haired girl's expression soured at the slight toward her invention. "Jak will be fine. He's tested out my Zoomer before."

"And he broke his arm!"

"Just the first time!" the mechanic defended. "Look, one of you has to go across, and you don't know how to operate it. There's no other way to the village."

"Well, why can't you ride your Zoomer across?" Daxter asked incredulously with an emphatic flail of his arm.

While the two teens were arguing, Jak rolled his eyes and mounted the Zoomer without being noticed. It wasn't until he revved the engine and sped off into the distance that Daxter turned to gape at his back with a dismayed expression. Keira just shook her head, amused, but she paused when she saw Daxter's face. His complexion had drained of all color and his eyes were the size of saucers. He could catch wumpbees with how wide open his mouth was. It didn't last long, though. As soon as he realized Keira was standing next to him, he seemed to snap out of it. He ran back toward the village without a word, and the taller girl hurried to keep up with him.

"I'm gonna kill him!" he hissed under his breath. "I'm gonna strangle that guy!"

Until Thursday!