as of three days ago, i'm a high school graduate. yay! i'm so glad to be done with the public school system! and in less than two weeks, i'll be in japan! double yay! i can't wait to go, and i'm sure i'll get all kinds of inspiration from going there.

in other news, i very seriously considered discontinuing this story. i have so much of it left to go, and i'm betting it'll take me a year or more to finish it. however, it appears the popularity of this story is growing. i've gotten lots of after-the-fact reviews, and they're all so positive i can't help but feel i should try and finish anyway. i know i certainly hate it when some author hasn't updated in a year or more and will undoubtedly never finish her or his story. just know i've come really close to giving up on this. thanks for sticking with me for the past year. :)

given my extreme distaste of recounting every single mission and in-game scene, i'm making an effort to skip around as much as possible and not interrupt the flow i've established. hopefully, i'm succeeding. recall that i established earlier on that jak has a dark eco induced semi-amnesia. that's continuing to run its course in this chapter.

Those Magic Changes

The Confrontation

Jak took a step back as an enormous gust of wind hit him. Even though the edge was a whole five feet away on either side, an intense wave of vertigo swept over the elf. The air moved in powerful and unpredictable surges towards the setting sun, and that combined with the incredible height of the support cable made Jak feel as a flimsy sheet of paper that the wind might sweep up into a freefall. Only sheer willpower kept him from collapsing to his knees and gripping the metal paneling beneath his feet. Daxter, who clung to Jak's shoulder guard as though he would die if he his orange-dusted knuckles weren't white, clearly shared the sentiment.

"Afraid of heights, Dax?"

The ottsel's eyes remained stubbornly shut. "Who the hell wouldn't be a hundred stories in the air?"

Jak shrugged, a movement which caused Daxter to grip his friend so tightly his tiny muscles quaked from the effort. In a small way, Daxter's discomfort lessened Jak's, and he now felt confident enough to move forward a few steps. No ill occurred, so the elf cautiously walked over to the edge.

The drop down to the city below was the very definition of dizzying. Zoomers navigated the streets like miniscule bugs marching around grains of dirt, and the people were so small Jak could only see them by squinting. He shuffled back to the center of the platform, his arms slightly raised to create the illusion of further balance and safety, and began crossing the support cable to the palace.

Vin, being the inconvenient genius that he was, had been able to reactivate the old B-Zone power grid that supported the access elevator but needed Jak to switch on the five, motion-sensing, turbo cannon guarded power boxes. Although the job wasn't difficult, it was just another obstacle between him and the Baron. Jak growled in frustration as he realized he would encounter more obstacles all along the support cable.

Heat tiles that could electrocute him to an airborne crisp riddled the path, followed by turrets, rotating spike rings, moving electrical rods, collapsible tiles, and still more turrets. Crossing the support cable meant engaging in a high wind dance that was deadly as it was tiring. By the time Jak reached the palace, a partially dried cold sweat drenched his skin and his legs quivered like jelly from height-induced nerves.

Jak looked at the ball of fur curled around his left shoulder and raised an unsympathetic eyebrow. "Hey, Dax, you can let go now."

"Are we on the ground?"

"No, we're on top of the palace." The ottsel didn't budge. "Look, you can't even complain. You're not the one who had to cross that thing." Jak waved a hand back at the support cable even though Daxter wasn't listening.

At last cracking an eyeball, Daxter gave his companion a one-eyed glare, mumbling, "Believe me, big guy, that makes it that much scarier."

Grinning devilishly, Jak plucked Daxter off his shoulder, the latter of whom quickly twisted around in the big hand and gripped it for dear life, yelling obscenities and insults that were lost in the howling wind. Jak said, "You just don't trust me, Dax. Haven't I proved time and time again that there's no safer place to be than on my shoulder?"

"THEN PUT ME BACK ON THERE, ASSHOLE!"

"What's the point if you don't trust me?" Jak replied, smiling.

A short scuffle later, in which Daxter vowed his trust in Jak a thousand times over, muffled voices sounded from below. Spotting a skylight, the companions headed over and lay down on their bellies, peering over the edge.

A huge, ostentatious throne room yawned beneath them. The Baron and Errol, both seeming more tense than Jak had ever seen them, stood in front of a holographic projection.

Praxis said, his voice gruff with impatience, "I've told you, I'll have more eco by week's end. We'll transport it directly to your nest as promised."

The projection, difficult to see but clearly a head, swayed slightly as though shaking from side to side. It reproached in an unearthly voice that struck fear into Jak's heart. "A deal is of no value if you can't deliver, my dear Baron." Jak frowned, realizing the terrible voice sounded familiar. "I grow impatient of your puny gestures. Give me the agreed upon eco soon, or the deal is off, and your precious city will pay the price!"

Is that why he's giving metal heads eco? To ransom the city? No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than the projection flickered and disappeared.

Errol stomped the floor and growled in frustration. "He's toying with us! Let me lead an assault on the nest before it's too late. I can take him."

The Baron swung towards the commander, yelling, "No! No one has every penetrated the metal head nest. You know that. I've seen what comes of such foolish plans. No! Strength is their weakness. We play helpless… we train them to eat from our hands, and then…" He turned decisively towards Errol, "Move forward with the plan! Tell Ashelin to up her patrols. I want that tomb found!"

Errol looked at the shiny tiles beneath his boots, concealing his expression. "But your daughter has not been… agreeable."

Jak's eyes widened. What?

"Ahgg… I'll see to that." The Baron's voice took on a chilling new dimension. "One way or another…"

Jak turned to Daxter. "Ashelin is the Baron's daughter?"

Praxis flared up again. "And find that child! If you spent half as much time looking for that little brat as you spend flirting with that mechanic girl, we would have pinned his royal ass to a wall long ago!"

Jak gasped in dread as he saw Daxter's little head nod backwards, going further each time, preparing for a mighty sneeze.

Errol bowed his head slightly, and Daxter settled back down, rubbing his black nose. "As you wish. With enough persuasion I'm sure our spy will—" Suddenly, the sneeze erupted with violent force, making a dangerous amount of noise and leaving a snotty blotch on the window pane, "What was that?"

Jak promptly grabbed the ottsel by the muzzle and rolled out of sight, hoping he had done so fast enough to avoid detection. He glared down at Daxter, growling, "Well done, buddy." Daxter shrugged sheepishly and would have said something if it weren't for Jak's hand covering his mouth.

After waiting for the men to leave the throne room and both of them grumbling, the two companions stood up and began walking back towards the support pillar when a mechanical woosh sounded below. Suddenly, a gigantic flying mech flew up past the ledge and loomed over them. Odd thruster-capped tentacles hung down from the robotic suit, and vicious guns and weaponry sprouted from its small body like needles from a pin cushion. In the middle of the mech, a rounded glass covering revealed the Baron sitting in the cockpit.

Rage instantly gripped Jak in a vice of hatred, and he scowled defiantly at the Baron. Praxis' half metal face twisted in a malicious grin, and he yelled above the roar of his mech, "So, we have a rat in the walls, do we? A rat and his boy it seems!"

"Hey!" Daxter yelled, insulted, "I'll have you know I'm the hottest 'rat' about town!"

The Baron guffawed, enjoying the situation. "Back for a few more dark eco treatments?"

Jak replied, his voice thick with fury, "Only if you're the one strapped to the table."

The Baron shook his head, clicking his tongue. "Such anger! It's really quite unhealthy, you know."

Jak's eyes darkened. "I'm sure I can douse it out with your blood."

Praxis laughed again. "Well, allow me to save you the trouble and put you both out of your misery!" He opened fire, barely allowing Jak time to dodge.

A deadly rigmarole of flaming bullets ensued. Jak rolled, jumped, and ducked, only occasionally having time to get a shot in. The mech had a force field that dimly quivered with green light whenever it took a hit, and Jak devoted a great deal of energy to wearing it down before he could even start doing real damage. Little black streaks covered his clothes where eco bullets passed so close they singed the fabric, and rivers of sweat were running down his toned body. Oddly enough, Jak didn't feel the tiring of his body. He only felt his desire for revenge burning in his stomach like a black flame.

With a yell, Jak twisted out of harm's way and got in a clean shot. A little explosion burst in one of the mech's tentacles, causing it to flounder in the air and shoot sparks. Praxis cursed and, wrestling with the controls, just managed to crash through a gate and escape to a different area of the roof.

Confident that he had done some damage, Jak stocked up on some ammo from various KG crates and ran after the Baron. But no sooner than he reached the next area, the mech appeared before him with a fully recharged shield.

The Baron called out, laughing maniacally, "How about some heat-seeking action?" He punched a button in the cockpit and a barrage of missiles rocketed directly up out of the mech and arched down right to where Jak was standing.

Again Jak was forced to hit and run for what seemed like an eternity, and again he remained tireless, subsisting on his rage. Again the Baron crashed through a gate and led the way to another area of the roof, stealing just enough time to recharge his force field, and again he employed use of a new and deadlier weapon.

The now smoking mech spewed swirling twisters of flame, further singing Jak's clothes and even catching Daxter's tail on fire. Pursued by the fiery tornados, Jak had hardly a moment to spare for inflicting damage, and it took him forever to wear down the force field. By the time he succeeded, his ammo was dangerously low.

Praxis, after letting loose another fire storm, laughed louder than ever and triumphantly charged Jak, planning to run over the exhausted elf like he would a bug. Seeing a narrow window of opportunity, Jak lifted his gun and leapt sideways. At just the right moment, he pulled the trigger and hit a vital spot, causing the mech to twist and turn so violently it spiraled out of control and, hitting another gate, exploded.

Jak stared at the smoking remains of the gate, mouth open. Had he really done it? Is he dead?

Daxter apparently thought so and whooped loudly. "Yeah! In your half-metal face, you megalomaniac!"

But the ominous sound of a discharging engine sounded, and the Baron floated into sight in what had been the mech's cockpit, now weaponless and seething. "The dark powers I gave you can't protect you forever! Since I made you I can destroy you! We'll meet again soon." His vow made, Praxis pulled out and flew away.

Daxter yelled after him, "Yeah, whatever. Bye-bye!" He waved an orange paw, a taunting grin on his face.

Jak fought off the urge to collapse on the spot. Now that the battle was over, his exhaustion had completely caught up with him, and his legs trembled with the simple effort of standing. He realized that if it weren't for his so called "dark powers," which provided him with not only the ability to use dark eco but also incredible strength and endurance, he would never have survived the confrontation. He propped his gun against the roof and fell, panting, to one knee, his head and ears hanging like a wilted plant.

"Woah!" Daxter exclaimed, "That really wore you out."

Jak nodded. "Battles to the death have a way of doing that, Dax."

"Well step it up, big guy. I'm ready to get back down on the ground."

Jak gave his companion a one-eyed glare. "You wanna fight with a mech suit equipped with an entire arsenal of weapons more destructive than any morph gun?"

"No, but I'm betting you wouldn't mind stocking up on some plump yakow steaks after exercise like that."

Jak smiled, a shadow of a chuckle escaping lips, and shook his head. After another minute he stood back up and took in a deep breath. "All right, let's get the hell out of here."

Jak leaned against the window sill and crossed his arms, staring broodingly as he sighed. What a day… It had been two, really. He didn't return from the palace till the middle of the night, and Torn was waiting for him. The ex-KG commander chewed Jak out without hesitation, even with Kor standing in the room He would not be placated by Jak's success or the information he brought back about the metal head leader, and he refused to answer Jak's questions about Ashelin with furious fortitude. In the end, Jak was rewarded with the dangerous mission of transporting Underground members to new safe houses. Despite having completed the mission with perfect execution, he was given no respite but the task of protecting some sacred site in Dead Town. Jak then received the biggest shock to his system since the dark eco treatments.

The "sacred site" was in fact the charred, decaying remains of Samos' hut. Dead Town was the future of Sandover Village. His village. In some small part of his heart, a part even he wasn't aware of, Jak hoped that he would find his way back to the life he had. But seeing the crumbling abode of the Sage of Green Eco utterly shattered any belief that Jak would ever make it back home.

His home was gone.

Daxter snorted, and Jak looked over to where he lay curled up in an open drawer. The ottsel shifted slightly and then was still. Somehow, despite two years of living in the streets of Haven, Daxter remained unaware that he was living in the future. Thanks to his extreme distaste of reading and remarkably ability to remain selectively unperceptive, Daxter never saw a date in print or heard one orally. He was, he said, so focused on finding Jak that he never really seemed to notice much other than clues to the elf's whereabouts and the more beautiful women he came across. But then, Daxter never did notice very much unless he wanted to.

The ottsel rolled over again in his drawer, and Jak couldn't help but smile. It helped to know that Daxter was suffering the same disillusionment that he was—not that such a surprise kept the ottsel from enjoying his shirt padded bed. Daxter's eagerness to embrace sleeping back indoors, which seemed to radiate from his sprawled form and comfortably closed eyes, also brought a smile to Jak's face. After a little over a month since escaping prison, the elf was just beginning to readjust to resting between four walls, and Daxter couldn't be more glad.

Jak's gaze turned back out the window, and he looked up at the stars as though they could give him an answer. Upon returning from Dead Town, Jak and Daxter were finally introduced to the Shadow. But rather than easing his mind or clarifying his current problems, Jak became more discombobulated than ever. The Shadow was none other than Samos himself… only he wasn't Samos. This Samos, although green, was not a sage, had no recollection of any rift gates, possessed a full afro hair, and was certainly not old and crusty. Indeed, the only thing about the Shadow that genuinely resembled the old sage was his distaste of Daxter's face and teleporting.

The Shadow didn't hesitate to send Jak and Daxter out to Haven Forest to root out an infestation of metal head scouts. The only thing the pair got out of the mission was the JET-board and a solid forty-eight hours of sleep deprivation. Unfortunately, Jak's thoughts were so chaotic he was utterly incapable of lying down in bed. And so he restlessly sat at the window, mulling things over till his eyelids finally grew heavy.

Oddly enough, before Jak saw the Shadow he could hardly recall Samos' distinct appearance, but as soon as he saw the little man he felt a gray area in his mind flood with color. The sensation was like that of remembering a fragment of a dream, triggered by some action or sight. Jak raised his hand and stared at it. Although the dark eco robbed him of everything he held dear, it hadn't permanently blurred his memories into an ambiguous haze. Whenever he saw someone or something from his past, another piece fell into place. But that didn't ever seem to do anything to lighten the darkness of his heart.

Jak yawned and finally headed towards his cot. He collapsed and closed his eyes, their tired burn soothed by the darkness. He now knew of Daxter and Samos—sort of—and of the fate of Sandover. How much longer before he would find all the pieces? A clouded image of Keira, hip popped out and wrench in hand, floated through his mind. She was grinning, one eyebrow raised, as she explained her latest invention, the A-grav zoomer. He slipped into a deep sleep, not even knowing he whispered her name.

"I want you boys to escort the kid over to Kor at the Power Station."

Jak looked at Samos, unimpressed, and then down at the indicated child. He wore cuffed blue overalls and a remarkably timid expression. His grimy feet were bare, and wispy tufts of unruly green hair escaped from beneath a pilot cap. Jak remembered seeing him with Kor shortly after breaking out of prison. Daxter said, "This kid again? We've got better things to do than baby-sit!" Jak couldn't help but agree, although he kept silent.

Samos glared at Daxter and replied, "You'll do what I tell you when I tell you!"

"Or what?"

"Or you can kiss goodbye any chances at the Baron and spend the rest of your days scrubbing the Underground latrines!"

Jak viewed the exchange with a combination of amusement and disquiet. While this Samos wasn't the one of the past, he surely acted like him. Everything from his temper to his threats of toil and drudgery spent with a mop fit the bill for the Sage of Green Eco.

Having composed himself, the Shadow continued, "Kor promised to look out for the boy, and I'm just too busy to baby-sit right now." Daxter grumbled at the word "baby-sit," and the kid's companion started yapping. Samos sighed, as though reminded of an annoying itch, "Oh, and take the kid's crocadog with you." The animal in question growled at the old man, who nervously chuckled. "…Isn't he sweet?"

Jak, still unimpressed, asked, "So, what's this kid's story?"

"I found him just wandering the streets. But that amulet around his neck means he may just be the lost heir to the city." Jak recognized the red amulet as the seal of the House of Mar Ashelin told him about. At the thought of the KG woman, Jak felt his body unwittingly stir. He immediately quelled any desire for her, attempting to focus on the mission at hand.

"Take the kid and the mutt to the Power Station. Watch out for guard patrols and defend the kid at all costs. Oh, and if you happen to lose the crocadog—" The animal again growled at the Shadow, and he took a step back before waving the boys away.

Removing his blaster from its holster, Jak led the boy down the alley and out into the open streets of the South Slums. The kid followed at a slow waddle, and the pace made Jak nervous. However, he figured they stood a better chance of avoiding detection if they discreetly made their way among the many pedestrians rather than tearing around in a zoomer. They hadn't even reached the first bridge when Jak was proved wrong.

A couple krimzon guards were heading towards them, guns raised, one of them radioing for backup. Jak cursed and quickly shot down the soldiers as he simultaneously scanned the area. Already, more KG were approaching, but he couldn't leave the kid's side long enough to jump up and steal a zoomer. He cursed again and began leading the boy to the Power Station on foot, struggling to protect from all sides. Suddenly, Jak noticed a parked zoomer on the other side of the plaza and was flooded with relief. No way can I keep this pace up all the way to the Power Station.

But he thought for too long, and when he turned to check up on his charge he saw the kid, wide-eyed and frightened, raising his little arms as a gun pointed at his heart. Jak lunged forward, shooting like a madman, barely stopping the unfortunate guard from apprehending the boy. "He's just a kid!"

The guard removed his faceplate and spluttered blood, barely capable of saying, "I don't give a damn if he is, you piece of rebel shit." Jak shot the guard in the face.

Without a moment's more hesitation, Jak wrapped one arm around the boy's middle and, lifting him up, bolted for the zoomer, shooting down guards the whole way. He leaped into the zoomer and threw the kid into the passenger seat, he dimly noted too roughly, and gruffly yelled, "Stay down!" He barely waited long enough for the crocadog to jump in before punching the ignition flying down the narrow windy streets of the Slums.

Smoke sputtered abundantly from the engine by the time they pulled up at the Power Station, and the boy was so terrified he wouldn't move but stayed stubbornly rolled up in a quivering ball. Jak unexpectedly felt his chest tighten, and an overwhelming sympathy for the child wrapped around his heart. He suddenly felt guilty for being so callous and, first scanning for any more krimzon guards, placed a big hand on the child's leather capped head. The boy looked up, wet tear trails streaming down his pudgy face. He looked utterly helpless. Jak attempted to smile and said, "Don't worry, kid, you're safe now."

Daxter chimed in, "Yeah, Kor'll take care of you."

The boy looked from the older elf to the ottsel vacillating between fear and hope before deciding on the latter emotion. He held his little arms out towards Jak as though he wanted to be picked up. Jak looked at the boy uncomfortably but quickly picked him up when he heard the clacking footfalls of an entire squadron bellow, the leader shouting out orders.

Once inside the power station, Jak paused, still holding his charge. The kid's head rested comfortably against his shoulder. One hand gripped Jak's collar and the other one of Daxter's paws. His small weight against Jak's body radiated trust, and the older elf felt extremely awkward. He pried the boy's hands loose and set him on the floor as Daxter jumped off his perch and strutted down the catwalk towards Kor.

Daxter said, "Samos told us to bring the kid to you."

Kor gravely nodded his acknowledgment, replying, "Thank you. I'll be sure to keep him close." He leaned down and stretched an open hand to the boy. The boy waddled over, but not before his crocadog resumed his favorite pastime and growled at the old man. Kor straightened up. "…How sweet."

Jak kneeled next to the crocadog and lifted up a hand for him to sniff. The animal immediately stopped growling and allowed Jak to stroke his large head, his tongue lolling out in pleasure. Kor looked on, impressed, and said, "Interesting. That insufferable mutt never liked anyone but the boy before."

Jak glanced up at Kor, smiling. "I guess I'm just good with animals."

Kor gazed around the Power Station, his eyes settling on a screen with fluctuating bars of light. "I hope we have enough eco to keep the metal heads at bay. During my travels in the deep Wasteland I saw some of the bigger ones. Awesome creatures."

Daxter piped up, "We saw a big one coming out of a rift once. He was uuuuugly!"

Kor harrumphed, seemingly displeased with the ottsel's lack of appreciation, before saying, "I have some valuable information for you. The Baron is conducting an excavation at the Dig. He is still looking for that ridiculous tomb." The crocadog wandered over to the old man's feet and raised a short leg to urinate on his walking stick. "Frankly, I don't believe it exists, but you might as well go out there and disrupt his operation just in case." Kor grimaced at the yellow puddle on the floor and delicately shook his stick dry. "Knock down all the scaffolding at the site. That should set him back."

Jak perked up at the idea of hurting the Baron's plans. "How do we get to the Dig?"

Kor handed him a shiny card. "Go to the port. Here is an air train pass to get you out there."

Jak grinned, looking forward to the task at hand. He turned to run out as Daxter leapt onto his shoulder, calling out his thanks.

Keira asked, a smile in her voice, "Are you serious? You're finally going to give me something fun to do?"

A gravelly voice rattled out of the comm. unit, "Unfortunately. You better not get too carried away."

Keira gave a little leap for joy and replied, trying to keep from sounding too satisfied, "That all depends on the mission, Torn. What are the details?"

"I'll brief when you get to HQ."

She stuck out her lips in a pout. "You mean I don't get to even prepare till the last minute? What will I do with myself?"

Torn said dryly, "I'm sure you'll think of something. Have you made any progress with golden boy?"

Keira sighed. "Sadly no. He's really only interested in adding me to his list of trophies. He's a tough nut to crack. My only new information is about plans to eliminate a couple more safe houses in the Water Slums. Nothing out of the ordinary."

"Well, have you tried sleeping with him?"

Keira flushed, indignant that she would be asked such a question even if it was a part of her job. "No. Errol's the type to abandon a woman after he's had his way with her."

"You sure about that?"

Keira said, raising her voice, "Yes I'm sure! The only way for me to get him to say anything of use is to keep dangling the carrot."

Torn was silent just long enough for Keira to know she had put him back in his place. Given the nature of their relationship, one of deep respect and friendship, it wasn't often that the Underground tactician crossed the line, but he always felt bad when he did. Keira, deciding to let him off the hook, said, "All right, so I'll be in at midnight. I'm looking forward to getting in some trigger practice."

"Fine. Over and—wait. I should tell you. This isn't a solo mission."

Keira raised an eyebrow at the comm. unit. "What?"

"It's high risk enough that you'll be teaming up with the new recruit."

"…Are you kidding me?"

"No." His warning tone suggested that Keira should keep her mouth shut. "I'll see you at—"

"But I'm one of the top members of the Underground! You expect me t—"

"No arguments! I shouldn't even be giving you a regular mission, but the Shadow's decided to throw you a bone, so shut up and take it. I'll see you at midnight. Over and out."

The comm. unit clicked off. Keira resisted the urge to throw it across the room and instead settled for kicking a nearby crate.

Torn would dare to ask her, a seasoned Underground soldier and mechanic, to work with a rookie? If anything, he would be a liability. She didn't care if all she heard about the new recruit was how fast he could run or how well he could shoot.

Keira stomped out to the stadium and swung her leg up over an available zoomer. Did this mean that Torn was replacing her? She hit a button and was lowered to the track below. She was barely free of the platform before she accelerated, hitting a boost so quickly the engine protested being pushed so hard with a high-pitched squeal. She didn't care if she damaged the zoomer, she could certainly fix it, and the speed helped ease her wounded ego.

Surely, Torn really did mean what he said about how dangerous the mission was. There was no way he would derail Keira's status. She was still among the best of the best, and just because some rookie happened to be a good shot it didn't mean she her reputation would be overshadowed.

At least she hoped.

Threatening… definitely threatening, Keira thought as she boosted over a dip in the track.

omg, i'm finally, finally going to get to the reunion! it's entirely possible that i'll get the next chapter up quickly since i've been looking forward to writing it for so long. obviously, i'm not sticking with the game reunion scenario, but no worries. it'll still be cool, i promise. :)

review!