Kat: At last! Sorry, I had a bad case of writer's block. –sneezes- Looks like I'm still suffering symptoms –IS SO NOT FUNNY- Anyway, enjoy!
"…He's lucky he only got a mild concussion," an older male voice said. "He could've been killed."
"Daddy, how could this have happened?" a young woman's voice asked. "Even he isn't so stupid as to risk falling from a height like that."
"I don't know, Keira. Perhaps Daxter can enlighten us when he wakes up."
Right on cue, Daxter groaned and opened his eyes. Everything looked blurry, but he could tell he was in Haven Hospital.
"Daxter?" Keira asked. "Jak! Daxter's awake!"
Daxter winced slightly; he had a throbbing headache and every little noise made his head pound. Daxter's vision had cleared and now he could see that along with Jak, Keira, and Samos, Tess, Torn and Ashelin were also there.
"Daxter!" Tess was about to glomp him, but Ashelin stopped her.
"What… what happened…?" Daxter asked. The group looked at each other, worried expressions on their faces.
"We were hoping you'd be able to tell us," Jak replied.
"I… I don't remember…" Daxter said, sitting up.
"What is the last thing you can recall?" Samos asked.
"The… the meeting in the throne room… We were talking about a reconnaissance mission to the KGs' War Factory… Torn told me to make myself useful for once…" Torn felt that pang of guilt again. "…then… nothing."
"Nothing?" Keira asked.
"Nothing… just a big blur…" Daxter answered.
"I thought the doctor said he hadn't suffered brain damage…" Tess said worriedly.
"He's just lost a bit of his memory," Samos said. "He's still fairly lucky. He could have easily been killed by that fall."
"F-fall?" Daxter asked.
Torn and Ashelin looked at each other, then retold the tale…
"Holy crap!" Torn exclaimed.
"Come on!" Ashelin said, getting back into the Hellcat. Torn also climbed in and started it up. The Factory was at least a mile above the city now, and still rising.
"Torn, look!" Ashelin pointed at a small form near the edge of the Factory. Suddenly it fell and started tumbling through the air.
"Daxter!" Torn sped up and flew towards his form as fast as the Hellcat could go. When they reached him, he landed onto the back with a sickening THUMP and a CRACK.
"Daxter!" Ashelin gasped. She cautiously stood up in her seat and turned around. On the Hellcat was Daxter's unmoving form… and a smear of blood.
"No…" Ashelin carefully picked up Daxter's body and sat back down, careful not to fall.
"Is he…?" Torn didn't want to ask the question. If Daxter died, it would be his fault.
"No, he's still alive," Ashelin said. "Come on, we've got to get him to the hospital."
"Well… at least I didn't fall too far, I guess…" Daxter muttered, rubbing the back of his head. He felt bandages in place of the familiar leather of his goggles.
"Yeah, but landing on hard metal isn't much better than landing on concrete," Jak said.
"Man, I've got a killer headache," Daxter groaned and lied back down.
"Well, the doctor said that there's a crack in your skull, so consider yourself lucky that you're not worse off," Samos said.
"Yeah, yeah…" Daxter mumbled. He looked at Torn and Ashelin. "Thanks for the save… even though it's your fault this happened…"
Surprisingly, neither Torn nor Ashelin made any type of comeback. They both knew that it was their fault that he was almost killed. They never should have risked his life. Torn felt especially guilty because Daxter only agreed to go because he called him useless…
"Well, we've other business to attend," Samos said. "We'll be back later."
"Get well, Daxxie!" Tess called as they left.
"Bye," Daxter said unenthusiastically. All he wanted… was… sleep… yawn…snore…
In the three months that passed while Daxter was recovering, the Metal Heads had finished building their tower. They'd also assaulted the port. Thankfully, the FL had been able to drive back the attack. Lately, the KGs hadn't been attacking as often, but the Metal Heads had made up for that, unfortunately.
When Daxter was finally released from the hospital, his 18th birthday had come and gone, but at the very least, his friends had still come to wish him well. Now, as Daxter was leaving the hospital, he was nearly flattened by a hunk of scrap that was formerly a Zoomer.
"What?" Daxter looked in the direction it came from. Metal Heads!
Daxter started running full speed down the street, away from the monsters. All around him, people were running and shouting in fear. The Metal Heads were running rampant in this section of the city. Daxter looked around desperately for a hiding place, and he found one: the inside of a heating duct. Daxter climbed up the wall and popped the grate free. He pulled himself into the duct and replaced the grate.
Daxter felt a blast of warm air blow through the vent, but he ignored it. He just hoped that the Metal Heads wouldn't see him. Outside, he could see the monsters running about, decimating the buildings and worse yet, the people. Daxter closed his eyes and looked away as another blast of air blew through.
"Aah! Mommy!"
Daxter abruptly opened his eyes and looked onto the street. A little boy was cornered by a Metal Head, and his mother was trying to save him. The woman struck the Metal Head with a pipe, but the monster ignored her. Another Metal Head came in and knocked the woman away.
"Mommy!" the little boy cried.
What the hell am I doing? Daxter thought. I've gotta do something! He rolled onto his back and kicked the grate off. The resulting clang got the Metal Heads' attention.
"Hey, you big, stupid, ugly monsters!" Daxter taunted. The Metal Heads growled.
"Yeah, I'm talking to you! You think you're so tough? Cornering a little kid and hitting a lady… You couldn't catch me if you tried!"
That did it. The Metal Heads charged toward him. Daxter leapt out of the duct and ran for it. The infuriated beasts followed, ignoring everything else that they passed. Their only intent now was to make that rat regret his words.
Daxter ran through the streets; his goal: get the hell away. He'd done what he could; he'd bought the mother and son some time to run. Now he had to save his own hide.
Daxter ducked into an alleyway to catch his breath. That was a bad move on his part. The Metal Heads were not fooled, and now he was trapped.
Daxter backed up against the chain link fence that stretched from one building to another. He looked briefly upwards then his gaze returned to the two Metal Heads.
Only one chance… Daxter spun around and jumped as high as he could. He latched onto the fence and began to climb. The two Metal Heads tackled the fence and nearly jarred Daxter loose, but the ottsel held on like his life depended on it… because it did.
Daxter hurriedly climbed the rest of the way up the crippled fence and dropped down on the other side. Not wasting a second, Daxter sprinted out of the alley and down the street. The Metal Heads burst out of the alley, nearly knocking someone over, and resumed chasing Daxter.
Aw, man… Daxter started to slow down. I can't keep running… Daxter dropped to all fours and forced his tired body to move, hoping to eventually lose the Metal Heads.
He did, but not in the way he was thinking. Out of nowhere, an oddly familiar van struck the two Metal Heads.
"X-Ximon!" Daxter coughed. Ximon sat in the driver's seat of the old Kridder Ridder company van and Taryn occupied the passenger's.
"Hey, bug boy," Taryn said. "You okay?"
"F-Fine…" Daxter wheezed.
"Get in. There are more Metal Heads coming this way," Taryn said. Daxter climbed into the van and sat between his two friends.
"Thanks… for the rescue…" Daxter panted.
"No prob, lil' buddy," Ximon said.
As they rose, Daxter looked down at the city. The Metal Heads were running rampant… but in the chaos… Daxter could see the little boy and his mother as a FL solider brought them to safety.