Okay here is chapter nine, it's a lot shorter than I first thought, oh well. I hope you enjoy it. This is honestly quite a static chapter, except for the shouting match, also I don't know what came over me but there is TornAshelin in here, just to warn you.
I own nothing, except my two surviving OCs.
"Jak?! Is that you?" The speaker had a boyish voice, and Dark Jak could make out the long fringe of hair falling to the person's eyes. It was none other than Karn, the wasteland boy.
"Yes it's me." The demon snarled his hateful voice even harsher than usual. Contempt for the boy before him twisted his already evil visage, even though Karn couldn't see it in the dark.
"Whoa, Jak, what happened to your voice? Why are the lights out? I can't see!" Karn said. "That Torn guy said something about a demon down here, have you found one?"
"In a manner of speaking. You mentioned being unable to see, I can fix that." Jak replied as a barrage of eco bolts jolted from his body, illuminating the hallway in a brilliant purple light.
Karn let out a terrified scream as he saw Dark Jak for the first time. Backing away he said, "You're not Jak." Karn was moving towards the wall, in his fear, he didn't realize his mistake.
"Jak and I are one and the same, yet we are different." Dark Jak had seen the boy's tactical error and pressed forward, driving Karn right up against the wall. "Jak cares for you boy, but guess what, I don't."
"Jak stop it you're scaring me." Karn whimpered unhappily.
"Jak stop it you're scaring me." The demon mimicked, followed by an evil cackle of laughter, he stood towering over Karn, watching the boy tremble in terror. "Jak's not here kid; it's just you and me. I'll have fun causing you pain; your blood is sweet no doubt." The demon reached out with a clawed finger and gently stroked it down Karn's face. The boy turned his head and sunk his teeth into the demon's pale digit. With a cry of alarm rather than pain Dark Jak pulled his hand away. "You little brat, you'll pay for that." He hissed putting a grey skinned hand around Karn's neck; the boy screamed in utter terror. The demon paused, seeming thoughtful. "No, I've got a better idea." he took his hand from Karn's neck, and raised it ready to strike with his talons that could cut through flesh or bone. Karn was frozen in fear, too frightened to eve scream. The demon's hand fell,
"Jak, NO!" a dry raspy voice cried. The sound of the voice threw the demon off and he missed his target, almost. Four deep cuts were ripped open on Karn's face as Dark Jak turned to regard the speaker.
The man had the holsters on the sides of his legs empty, both pistols in his hands. The geometric shapes around his eyes were a strange color in the purple light still emitted from Jak.
"You can't stop me," the demon hissed. "You're a good for nothing kiss-ass second, and you'll never be better than number two, Blade."
"Bastard! I helped you!" Blade screamed he charged at Jak and lunged for the eco being; Dark Jak swung his arm up and caught Blade in the chest, flinging the man into the opposite wall where he fell stunned. Dark Jak turned from Karn, the prospect of killing Blade far more appealing. The demon lumbered over to where Blade lay, partly slumped against the wall, his eyes were closed, and his head tilted to one side.
Dark Jak's step faltered unable to continue for a moment, looking at the helpless man before him, he found himself being held back for a second. Shaking his head the demon let out a low growl and advanced once more.
Unnoticed by Jak, Torn snuck stealthily behind the demon and grabbed Karn's arm. "Move kid. Get out of here." He whispered in the boy's ear. His rough voice pulled Karn from his fearful trance and the wasteland boy ran off in the direction of the exit. Torn was about to follow when he noticed that Dark Jak actually had a live person to attack. He felt rooted to the spot unable to leave and incapable of just standing by.
As Dark Jak raised his hands to finish what he'd started; Blade's eyes snapped open and he fired a shot point blank into Jak's leg. The sound of the shot jolted Torn from his place, whipping out his knife the ex-Krimson guard rushed forward and wrapped his arm around the demon's neck. Torn pulled back and Jak took a few staggering steps away from Blade. Snarling Dark Jak tried to get back to his prey, but Torn shifted his arm so the blade of his knife was pressed up against the demon's throat.
"Jak snap out of it! I know you've got better control than this, leave him alone. I'll do it, I don't want to, but I'll kill." Torn hissed in Jak's ear. This had little effect on the demon however; Jak continued struggling to get near Blade. Torn flipped his dagger to his free hand and plunged the knife into Jak's right side, thrusting it up through the creature's ribcage. Using all of his strength Torn shoved Dark Jak aside and to his knees. He released the demon and reached out to haul Blade to his feet, saying "Come on man, let's get out of here."
Blade didn't argue and the two men took off, with Torn wondering why he had to run everywhere that day. A metallic clang reached their ears, and, against his better judgment, Torn looked back.
Jak screamed as his transformation reversed, the pain was intense, and it was amplified by the gaping hole in his side where Torn had driven his dagger home. He was hunched over on his knees, panting to cope with the pain. Both of his hands were pressed to his side, warn blood trickled through his fingers; Torn's knife lay on the floor in front of him, bloody up to the hilt. His leg and shoulder burned, the scabs on his back had ripped open and the cut above his eye was leaking fresh blood. He saw a long fingered hand grasp the hilt of the dagger, and Jak looked up to see Torn standing over him.
"You going to make it Jak?" the Freedom League Leader asked as he wiped his knife on his pants before sheathing it. He helped Jak to his feet and motioned for Blade to come over and help. Jak leaned heavily on Torn for quite a while, but he eventually found the strength to support himself. Neither of the tattooed men strayed too far from the wounded teen, both prepared to help if necessary.
By the time they reached the lighted part of the hallway Blade had gone further ahead after being convinced Torn could handle Jak. Suddenly Jak pushed past the leading man followed closely by Torn, a brown figure lay in the middle of the corridor, Jak fell to his knees, now oblivious to his injuries; it was Karn.
"No," Jak muttered feeling along Karn's neck. "Don't do this to me. Don't die." A pulse was there, but it was weak and erratic. Jak pulled Karn into his arms and stood up. Karn lay bridal style in Jak's arms, his head resting against Jak's chest. The boy was cold, and Jak willed some of his body heat into Karn's limp form. He ran, faster than he usually did when he wasn't injured. Torn managed to match Jak, stride for stride, Blade was left behind to try and puzzle out what had just happened.
A minute or two later Jak emerged from the building, followed closely by Torn. Ashelin ran to her boyfriend, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him. She traced he fingers over his tattoos, speaking softly to him. "I was so worried about you, I didn't know if Jak would stay in control or if you'd be alright," Ashelin's voice broke, showing exactly how worried she'd been.
Torn tucked a lock of her red hair behind her ear, "Don't worry I'm fine," he leaned in close and they kissed.
Blade came tearing out of the building and ran smack into the lovesick couple, violently breaking them apart. Torn shot a glare at the man who had disturbed this moment with Ashelin; Blade's eyes widened in shock and recognition.
"Torn," Blade looked like he'd seen a ghost. "I can't believe it's you."
A range of emotions passed over Torn's face, first shocked understanding, then disbelief, followed by joy, and ending with anger. The Freedom League Leader stalked over to Blade and punched him in the face. "NINE YEARS RIPP!" he shouted giving Blade a rough shove. "WHAT THE HELL KIND OF STUNT WERE YOU TRYING TO PULL?" Torn lowered his voice considerably, "Ripp, do you have any clue what that did to me? Why didn't you contact me?" Torn demanded grabbing Blade by the shoulders and shaking him. There was no opening for Blade to get a word in. "Do you have ANY idea what it's like to have Erol come into my office and hand me two lists, confirmed and unconfirmed dead from that explosion. Mom and Dad were on the first one, guess whose name turns up on the second! Yours Ripp!"
Blade seemed to finally find his voice. "Well life wasn't exactly a walk in the park for me either Torn! I thought you'd died in a metalhead attack!" Jak and Ashelin both noticed that Blade responded to the name Ripp.
"That was six years ago! It was a cover-up created by Erol because I quit the guard! What the hell were you doing for three years? And what did you do to your face?" Torn asked starting to calm down.
"I'm sorry. I don't know why I didn't contact you." Blade said, looking away. Torn threw his arms up in exasperation; the sudden movement caused terror to show on Blade's face and his arms shot up as though to protect himself from being hit. He took a few steps back from Torn. "Don't do that! You look like him when you do that!" his voice wavered and his eyes shone with frightened tears.
Torn's expression changed to one of concern. "Who do I look like Ripp?" he asked quietly.
Blade shook his head, "I don't want to talk about it right now, besides, look at Jak; we can talk later."
Jak had a grief stricken look on his face and he looked at the boy in his arms. His own injuries meant nothing, it was his fault Karn was like this, he'd attacked Karn in his dark form, those cuts marring the boy's face were considered minor, but they were lethal. Dark eco was circulating around Karn's body; it had gone in through Jak's claws. If Jak didn't get Karn to Seem's monks for treatment soon, the boy would die. Ashelin had come and put an arm condolingly around Jak's shoulders, but he barely noticed, he looked up as Blade and Torn came near.
"I'm taking Karn back to Spargus. Contact Sig for me and let him know would you?" Jak said shrugging Ashelin's arm away. "Don't' try to stop me." A grim determination showed on his features, he would get Karn to Spargus if it was the last thing he did.
If you can't tell, Torn is Blade's brother and Ripp is Blade's real name. I have started writing a story about these two leading up to and after the explosion that killed their parents. If I forget to explain who Torn reminds Blade of in this story it will be explained in the fic revolving around them.
I do know how old Torn is compared to Ashelin and it frankly creeps me out, so I pretend that Ashelin is at least six years older than she actually is, although if I were to pair her with Jak she would be her actual age, I don't really know why you'd care though.
PLEASE REVEIW!!
