Rated: T for minor swearing, violence, odd situations, etc.
A/N: Chapter 6, splee~ and yes, what Jak is currently going through, i like to call 'Eco Withdrawl' OuO nothin' fancy. i hope you enjoy the little bits of humor i put in here. thanks for all the reviews and favs, guys!
I DO NOT OWN JAK AND DAXTER! I wish I did...but I don't.
enjoy! *sips mountain dew* reviews are greatly appreciated. :3
thoughts/emphasis
Dark Jak/anonymous
Chapter 6
Jak's muscles were convulsing, each twitch bringing a violent purple spark flying in a random direction. Torn gave up trying to convince him he needed to rest. The blonde was too worried for his friend, even though the orange furball said he was fine. They all got in Torn's hellcat to head back to the HQ. The commander had wrapped bandages around Daxter's back and torso to keep his back straight. His back had a bleeding gash where he landed, but his spine was not broken. Nevertheless, the stubborn hero stayed awake incase his best friend needed him at any moment. Talk about loyalty, and just plain stupidity.
Let me out, Jak.
No.
Please.
No.
I can't hold it back for you any longer.
You were let out long enough.
Your friends are used to the killing. Just let me out. Please.
Jak could sense his darker half was very eager to get out. If he couldn't sense it, though, he could still hear it in the creature's voice. It wasn't mocking him, wasn't sneering at him. Just begging. Oh, how good it would feel to let all of it loose. The hero felt like a Dark Eco bomb, ticking with each painful second, ready to explode. He tried to ignore his involuntary twitches, but it was inevitable.
"For Precursors sake, Jak! You look like you went to hell for a vacation. Can't you get rid of that eco?" That was Daxter.
"Yeah, Jak. You can't hold it back forever, and I'd prefer it if you didn't let it out while we're in the hellcat." Torn.
Do I look bad enough that he even agrees with Dax? His muscles spasmed with another jolt of pain, a purple spark licking the air for a split second. I guess so.
When the blonde didn't respond, his two friends gave up again. The head quarters were coming into view.
Let me out.
No.
Please, Jak, let me OUT.
I said no!
LET ME OUT!
"NO!"
Torn slammed on the brakes, all three jerking forward. Sadly, Daxter fell on the floor from his small size. The ex-KG lowered the vehicle to the ground so zoomers could continue on their way. That's when the commander noticed the whole area was completely silent, and all citizens were staring at them. Great, Torn mentally growled, scowling. He turned slowly to the blonde man, glaring daggers at him. Jak wouldn't meet his eyes, just staring at his feet, apparently finding them highly amusing.
"Jak."
...
"Jak."
"Hm."
"What. The. Hell. Is your problem?"
Jak didn't respond, trying not to convulse again. This is embarrassing, the hero thought.
That's what you get for keeping me trapped in this god forsaken mind of your's.
He said the only thing he could think of. "Sorry."
Before Torn could reply, Daxter spoke up. "A lil help, here, guys? I've fallen and I can't get up! ...And I wished I didn't have to say that 'til I was atleast fifty ottsel-years old."
The ottsel's best friend obliged and picked him up off the floor carefully, setting him back in the seat. The tattooed man merely shook his head, gaining altitude again and driving off. Citizens went back to their business, thank Mar. Er, thank Jak. Whatever.
Torn was practically dragging Jak into the main HQ room, Daxter clinging onto the blonde man while trying not to move his back much. Ashelin took the sight in and widened her eyes. "Where the hell were you? What are their injuries?"
"Do you want the physical, or mental version first?" Torn asked half sarcastically, half serious. He let go of Jak, letting him sit in a chair. The ottsel inched onto the glowing red table carefully.
"Um," she eyed the group curiously. "Physical, first."
"The rat has a gash in its back from a rough landing, nothing serious. Jak just has a few scratches and bruises here and there, nothing Green Eco won't fix." Remembering the healing eco, he hunted through his leather bag and grabbed a jar full of Green Eco. "Lay on your stomach," the comander ordered to the ottsel. Daxter did as he was told without complaint for once, wincing in pain.
"Okay, now, mental version?" the red head asked, then jumped when Jak convulsed, sparks licking the air for a second.
"He's been doing that," he said, waving a hand in the hero's direction, "ever since he absorbed too much Dark Eco. Eco overdose." He opened the jar and applied some eco on Daxter's back, the orange animal shivering in relief. "Probably used up a whole pool's worth, the idiot."
"Said idiot is right here," Jak growled, but didn't have as much fire in his tone as he hoped. He was still exhausted.
Torn merely glared back at him. "I don't know exactly what's going on in his head, but we need to get the eco out of his system. He's too stubborn to do it himself." Jak's muscles spasmed again, little lightning bolts following. Ashelin nodded, somewhat understanding the situation.
"Did you find anything in the mine, Jak?" The Barron's daughter asked, getting onto business. The young hero nodded weakly, digging into his scarf and taking out the artifact and handing it to Ashelin. The red headed woman was going to take it, but it seared her hand. She immediately drew back, hissing from the burn. The three males looked at her in confusion. "How do you hold that?" she asked, blowing her hand to cool it off. The blonde shrugged.
"It doesn't burn me," he said flatly.
Torn held his hand out. "Let me try." Jak nodded, handing it to him. It too burned his hand, but held the pained hiss back, waving his hand to cool it off. The hero stuffed the strange object back in his scarf. Daxter snickered at him.
"Who knew something could be hotter than your own temper, Tattooed Wonder!"
'Tattooed Wonder' growled at the ottsel. "I'd watch your mouth, fuzzball, unless you want that gash twice as big."
He's threatening to hurt Daxter.
He's just kidding. He always is.
How do you know?
Dax would be dead by now if he was serious.
Yeah, then I would be the one to kill Torn.
Jak convulsed again, sparks zapping out of his body. This was becoming extremely painful, and he couldn't just let his body get rid of the eco with each spasm he had. The hero had to be alone, or better yet, in a nest of Metal Heads to get rid of it all. As if reading his mind, Torn said, "Go take your pet to the Wastelands, or a better place you can think of, so you can get rid of that eco." The blonde nodded and picked Daxter up carefully. The ottsel seemed five times heavier now from his bodily ache, but put that aside and left.
Ashelin and Torn looked at each other, deep in thought. "Is there anything else I need to know about their mission at the mine?" The red head asked.
"Other than an army of Metal Heads that came back from the dead, no."
"Oh. Wait...What?"
Jak and Daxter stood in the middle of the Wastelands, the sun setting in a blazing yellow and orange over the horizon. The clouds seemed to be on fire, the shadows tinted a mystic purple. Orange sunlight reflected off the ocean and every cactus and rock laying stray around the area. Little did the blonde hero convulse, and much did the ottsel's concern build up for his best friend. He knew Jak would get through this, because he had survived it before. It was Blue Eco overdose, though. The blonde had to run circles around Sandover for a whole eight hours just to get rid of it all. Samos had to practically tie Daxter to a tree to calm him down, because he thought the teen would die.
This was Dark Eco, though, so it is understandable that Daxter was worrying like hell, and why it seemed twice as painful for Jak.
"Hey, Jak?" Daxter asked hesitantly. Jak looked at him.
"Yeah?"
"Am I a...teddy bear, to you?" The blonde was taken back from that question.
"A teddy bear? No, Dax. You're my best friend. Why would you think you're just a-" he convulsed painfully, making the ottsel flinch. "...A teddy bear?"
"No reason. Just wonderin'."
The sun was almost gone, now. The majority of the sky was turning a dark blue, and the horizon was tinted red. Stars were starting to poke their way out, along with little creatures that were waking up. The duo was waiting until nighttime in case anyone decided to wander the desert during the day. Luckily, it wasn't too hot, and they weren't extremely uncomfortable.
"Well, lettarip, partner!" Daxter said, climbing onto a tall rock to let Jak do his thing. The hero nodded. He pleaded to the heavens that the ottsel wouldn't be here, but they didn't answer to his wish. The blonde sighed, and gave in to the Dark Eco. In a split second, two black horns ripped out, his eyes grew pitch black, his skin turned a deathly pale color, his hair turned grey and wild, and his mouth was drawn back in a snarl to show two gleaming white fangs.
Daxter was scared of the creature that came out of Jak, but he never ran like any one else did. That eco freak was his best friend, and he would never harm him. The ottsel left his buddy to rot in a prison for two years before finally coming for him, and the hero never blamed him for what he was. It nagged him every day ever since he saw his best friend turn into the alter ego.
Rocks were split in half, cactus bits were everywhere with juices dripping out, every lizard within a mile radius was sent to hell, and the monster was only half done. He needed to kill something now.
Jak remembered the artifact at that moment, for some reason. Taking it out of his scarf, he observed it, careful not to scratch it with his black claws. A stange feeling inched up his arms throughout his whole body, like the mere object wanted something from him.
I don't like this.
What is it?
I'm not sure what this junk is called, but I can feel the power it holds. The Dark Eco inside of it is affiliated with the deadliest nightmares.
What about the smoke in the middle of it?
I think it's an evil soul. This might be a cage of some sort keeping it here. We need to get rid of it.
No. I want to see what it does.
No, listen to me, for once! We need to-
Before the alter ego could finish, all Dark Eco flew out of him, a bright purple blinding his vision. He turned back to normal forcefully. Just as suddenly, the eco was sent back into his body, but somehow changed. It stung like hell all over his body, not to mention the burning sensation in his whole chest. He cried out in pain, feeling a migraine coming on.
Make it stop, make it stop, make it stop, Jak silently pleaded, struggling to stay standing. After what seemed like eternity, the blinding purple vanished. The blue eyed man stood frozen, hearing screams of alarm that seemed far away, like a dream. His vision was blurry, and the darkness of the night was not helping him see. He was numb. What he noticed the most, though, was that he felt another presence in his mind. It wasn't his two alter egos, either. It was something worse. Something more.
Lay down, it said, it's voice like a breathy whisper, one he couldn't identify at all. It was so hypnotizing, he had to obey. Jak collapsed backwards, giving into the weakness. He landed on his back with a thud, a cloud of sand spraying up.
Sleep, it said again. The muffled yelling seemed a little louder now. Wait, the hero thought. Daxter? An orange blob filled his vision.
Rest.
No. Daxter...
Rest, Jak. Just sleep. Everything will be fine. The orange blob grabbed Jak by the chest, shaking him. Everything seemed like a dream, now.
Daxter...
Sleep.
He gave into the voice.
All the destruction in the Wastelands made Daxter jittery. If he wasn't Jak's best friend, he would be part of the war zone right now. The thought terrified him, but he was safe.
The orange animal was currently hiding behind a rock that was split into five different parts. The snarling and roaring stopped, bringing him out of his hiding spot. Daxter peered over the surface of the rock, seeing Jak still in Dark mode, holding what looked like the artifact. He seemed to be debating with himself about it. He just gets weirder and weirder, the Precursor mused. Actually, that's an understatement.
He grinned at the observation, but the grin was wiped off his face when a purple lightning bolt exploded out of the artifact. The color filled the ottsel's vision, then he was thrown back from the force. He landed a few yards away from his past hiding spot, landing with a thud on the sand. My back can't take much more of this, Daxter groaned mentally. He forgot about the pain instantly when his best friend's face appeared in his mind. Oh crap! Jak!
Daxter shot up and sprinted as fast as his tiny orange legs could carry him to the scene. Bright violets and lavenders shimmered off the sand, rocks, and cactuses. The Precursor could tell it was Dark Eco from the mystic color. I don't think eco overdose is causing this!
The continuous explosion vanished. Daxter saw Jak, normal now, standing frozen. The haunted look in his eyes caused the ottsel to freeze a few yards away from him. The color of the hero's eyes around his pupils is what caused his breath to stop. Gold eyes? That reminds me of... Daxter didn't continue that thought. Instead, he paid attention to his best friend's state.
Jak's eyelids lowered greatly, looking like he'd just woken up, and collapsed backwards, dropping the artifact. Daxter cried out in alarm, broken from his frozen state. He ran to his partner's side, extremely worried.
"...axter," Jak breathed out, looking like he went five hundred hours without sleep. Daxter perked his ears up at the noise. It was something.
"I'm here, buddy! Don't leave me!" The ottsel exclaimed, hopping onto his chest. He waved a gloved paw infront of the blonde's face, trying to get him to responde. Jak showed little recognition. His eyes lowered more. Daxter narrowed his eyes, grabbing his friend by the chest and shaking him all he could with his small strength.
"I said don't leave me! I'm gonna call for help, okay, buddy? Just don't close your eyes!" The young hero did the opposite.
"I SAID DON'T CLOSE YOUR EYES!" The orange rodent groaned in frusteration, hopping off him and digging in his pocket for the communicator. He pulled it out and jabbed in the first number that came to his mind, much to his dismay. The device rang for a few seconds, each ring causing Daxter to twitch. "Pick up, damn you sonuvabi-"
Click.
"What is it?"
"Twice in a day, I never thought I'd be happy from your existance!" There was faint grumbling in the background. "Torn, I need you over here pronto. Something happened to Jak!"
DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUN.