Sorry that this has taken so long. I bought an apartment and renovated my kitchen, and then school has just been crazy.
Everything has settled down now so hopefully updates will be more common. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and followed this! It is what is keeping me going!
Please Please review.
Thank you and enjoy!
Ashelin walked into the KG office, ignoring the secretary who had stood up to greet the governor.
"Good afternoon Mrs. Praxis. Is there someone who you would like me to page?"
"I'll do it myself" Replied Ashelin.
She thought the secretary was pointless; she had replaced the council's secretary with a reprogramed KG robot yet for some reason Torn didn't follow. Maybe Torn just liked looking at the girl, thought Ashelin.
Unlike Jak, Ashelin knocked before swinging the door open.
"What do you want? I have shit to do"
"Let's just remember who's your superior Torn. I'm not exactly on vacation here either."
"Sorry Ash." Torn's apology didn't sound sincere in the slightest. He had always struggled with Ashelin being his superior. He hated not being in charge.
"What do you need to talk about?"
"I was meeting with Vin and he informed me of excessive eco activity far North. He's sending a team of repurposed KG robots to check it out."
Torn's expression remained in his signature frown.
"What does that have to do with my Freedom League squads? We have enough to deal with."
"I thought you might like to be kept updated. The war is over now anyway Torn." Ashelin leaned over onto his desk. "You can relax now commander. That's an order."
Ashelin left the office without waiting for a reply. She didn't want to deal with Torn anymore. He was one of her closest friends but lately he had been unusually uptight. He had started to smell like tobacco again. Ashelin had thought about bringing up his smoking problem but had decided that nothing good would come out of it. She'd give Torn a few more weeks to work himself out, if there was no change then she would step in.
Torn remained at the Office later than usual that night. He reached in his pocket for a cigarette, but to his disappointment the package was empty. Torn stood up and grabbed his jacket off of the back of his chair, knocking over a pile of files off his desk. As he kneeled down to pick them up, a shadow moved by the small crack at the bottom of the office door. That's weird thought Torn. All the Freedom League office workers should have already gone home.
"He said the file would be locked in the safe here"
Torn remained hidden under his desk. He didn't recognize the voice.
"We need to find it. We can't have them looking for him" rasped another voice that Torn couldn't recognize.
"It's not in any of these cabinets." The first voice spoke angrily.
Torn grabbed his knife he kept strapped to his thigh. There were hundreds of files in those cabinets; it would not have been possible for the burglars to have already sorted through all of them.
"Check the office." Ordered the second voice.
Still crouched under the desk Torn swore at himself for taking Ashelin's advice and not carrying a blaster at work. Torn got up from under the desk and hid beside the door. He heard the doorknob turn, and as the door opened Torn lunged at the burglar dagger in hand.
Yet the burglar was faster, and he grabbed Torn's wrist before he could land a strike. The burglar twisted Torn's arm behind his back. Torn winced in pain.
"What the fuck do you think your doing?" Yelled Torn.
"Nothing that you need to worry about" Said the intruder holding Torn in an arm lock.
"We should kill you now" Said the second as he walked into the office. "But I think it will be more fun for you to die with the others." He began to go through Torn's desk before he turned to face Torn and his accomplice. "Valac deal with this Freedom League scum."
Torn didn't recognize either of the two men's voices. They were both wearing a black robes, with a purple masks covering their face. The leader of the two was wearing dark blue gloves, and had short white hair sticking out from the back of his mask. The accomplice was slightly taller than Torn and had dark brown hair.
"As you wish sir"
Torn tried to struggle out of Valac's grip but failed. Valac raised his hand to the side of Torn's face.
"This might leave a mark." Valac laughed.
His hand began to grow a dark purple color. Bolts of dark eco began to shoot out stinging Torn's face. Torn clenched his jaw and gave one last failed attempt to free himself of Valac's grip. Not wanting to risk losing his grip, Valac slammed his hand into the side of Torn's head.
Torn screamed. It felt like his face was being ripped apart. His body began to spasm and vomit leaked out of him mouth. Torn then lost consciousness and collapsed on the ground, a small purple mark remaining where Valac's hand had made contact.
Torn awoke, with no idea where he was, lying in a pool of his own vomit. He stood up and rushed to the washroom. Using some wet paper towels Torn wiped his face clean. He looked at himself in the mirror. He had a small bruise on the side of his head. He couldn't really remember what had happened. He must have smoked too much and passed out. He wasn't sure if that was even possible but that seemed like the only reasonable explanation. He checked his pocket for his pack of cigarettes. It was empty.
"That must have been what happened." Torn told himself, looking at his bruise in the mirror.
Torn looked checked the time on his communicator. It was 1 in the morning; he could still make it to the Naughty Ottsel for a drink. Torn definitely needed a drink and a break from smoking.
Torn thought about taking his HellCat but decided that after the previous events it would be better to walk.
His face was throbbing. He had been bruised countless times before but it had never hurt this much. Torn stopped walking, and in a sudden attempt to support himself leaned on a hover car parked on the side of the road. He felt awful. Struggling to stay balanced, Torn abruptly lurched over, launching dark purple vomit all over the car. Disgusted, Torn pushed himself upright and backed up.
Torn didn't know why his vomit had been purple. All he knew was that he suddenly felt better. "Must have been some weird food reaction in my stomach" Torn muttered to himself continuing his journey to the Naughty Ottsel.
"Hey Dax" shouted Jak across the bar.
"What's up Jakky boy? Daxter replied, scurrying to his friend's side
"Have you seen Torn tonight? He's usually here by now"
"Jak" now standing on the bar, Daxter placed a hand on Jak's shoulder. "Any day when the tattooed wonder doesn't show up is a blessing. I'm sure I've scared him away by now any…"
Daxter's comments were cut short as the bar doors unexpectedly swung open revealing Torn, who head straight for the bar.
"I'll have the usual Jak"
"Sure thing bud. What happened to your face, you have a pretty big bruise. You know the fight for the city is over right?" Jak joked.
"He probably looked in the mirror and got punched by his reflection" Laughed Daxter.
"Hit myself opening a door" Torn slurred, "No big deal"
"Wait Torn" Jak's smile faded into a glare. "That's not a bruise."
In a panic, Jak untied his apron and rushed out from behind the bar grabbing Torn's face to examine the purple marl.
"Fuck Torn. Someone call Samos"
