"Why didn't you come back Torn? Why are you betraying your friends like this?" Ashelin demanded.

"That's really simple Ashelin. It wasn't you that I originally betrayed," Torn replied.

Torn turned in Tryce's direction and everyone followed suit. Tryce took off his helmet, revealing the KG tattoos painted across his face.

"I was never the person everyone thought I was. No one knew of my past as a member of the Clan of Invisibilty and I didn't want anyone to know. That's changed since R and A wants to kill everyone after all these years," Torn explained.

Ashelin narrowed her eyes as she carefully watched them. Her stare turned towards Tryce and she studied him.

"You're the one from the photo Daxter, Jak and I saw at Azan's house. You're Tryce, aren't you?" she mused.

Tryce nodded as he stepped to his brother's side. Torn glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, also noticing that Jinx hadn't run off during the distraction.

"Jinx, we do need your help. You're the only one who can lead us to Rand and Anthar," Torn told him.

"Rand and Anthar?" questioned Ashelin.

Everyone turned in Jinx's direction, who had began to appear nervous. Torn didn't appear to hear Ashelin's apparent confusion of the two new names.

"Torn, listen to what you're asking me. You're asking me to find and spy on two people that I called my friends and comrades from when I was in the Group of 9 with them. Besides, we had so many hideouts, I wouldn't know where to start lookin'. After your parents were killed and you two captured, we had no reason to stay together. I don't know if they would trust me anymore after all these years," Jinx replied.

Torn sighed as he turned away from him, never noticing the obvious shock on everyone's, particularly Ashelin's, face. Tryce did notice however and smirked.

"We understand if you don't want to help. Just remember that we still stay friends, no matter what happens," Torn said.

Torn and Tryce turned back towards the others, hoping to start forming a plan. Jinx watched them, narrowing his eyes.

"Listen up everyone. I know my loyalties are in question but this is one time that you must trust me. Rand and Anthar..." started Torn.

"Count me in," Jinx interrupted.

"What?" Tryce said in disbelief.

"I said 'count me in'. If Rand and Anthar don't believe in lettin' me in with their current plans, who needs 'em?" Jinx explained.

Tryce gave a smile as did Torn. Sig watched all three of them carefully. He wasn't too sure what to expect from any of them. He leaned in towards Ashelin, hoping the others wouldn't hear.

"Personally, I don't know if we can trust them anymore, seeing how they used to kill people for fun," Sig whispered.

"I know that but I am starting to see that they probably are the only ones who can help us. We have a common enemy after all but I still don't know," Ashelin quietly replied.

Sig said no more as Torn, Tryce and Jinx joined the others. Torn glanced up at Sig for a split second before turning towards Onin. He said nothing to her and she made no attempt to tell him anything. Pecker remained quiet himself, knowing that he should.

"Here's what I propose. Tryce and I will follow Jinx back to some of the old hideouts. What we're hoping is that we find them really soon," Torn told them.

"Know of anyplace that would be able to hold hostages?" wondered Ashelin.

"Hostages? Why?" wodnered Tryce.

Ashelin hesitated as she exchanged glanced with Sig.

"They have Daxter and Tess. I think they also have Jak. I'm guessing it would also have to be someplace that holds computers as well," Ashelin reluctantly said.

Torn closed his eyes, not knowing what to think. Jinx placed a hand on his chin in thought before finally stepping forward.

"I think I might know where they might be. There's only couple of hideouts that have both computers and room to have hostages. We'd better get movin' before somethin' happens," Jinx told them.

Tryce glanced in Ashelin and Sig's direction, wondering how they were going to react to this new development. Sig narrowed his eyes, wondering if they were indeed telling the truth.

"You heard the man. Let's go," Torn said.

The three headed for the door when Ashelin ran towards Torn and grabbed his elbow. He turned his head enough to look at her.

"What makes you think you can barge in here after all this time and tell me what to do?" she demanded.

Torn quietly laughed as he fully moved his body in order to face Ashelin. Tryce gave a smile and crossed his arms as he watched the two talk. Jinx silently stood by the door, waiting to see what would happen.

"Ashelin, do you want to stop these guys or not?" he finally asked.

"Why of course-" she started.

"Then it's your choice. You can try to stop these guys by yourselves, probably fail and then see everyone around you slowly die... or you can trust us enough to help you. We can lead you to them and we know how they will act and react but by the looks of it, you don't want our help. It looks like the only good thing of us coming here is getting Jinx," Torn explained.

Torn began to leave. Tryce joined his brother when he walked past him, giving a glance at the group before doing so.

"Torn, wait!" called Ashelin.

The three stopped before they walked out the door but didn't bother to turn around.

"Please don't go. We do need your help," she pleaded.

Samos watched Torn as the former KG glanced over his shoulder. Samos tried to follow the stare and thought he found it aimed right at Onin and Pecker. He didn't say anything as Tryce stepped towards Ashelin.

"Glad you finally saw it our way," he told her, a huge grin on his face.

Ashelin glared at him as she moved around him and towards Torn. Tryce and Jinx moved back into the room and began to talk to Sig and the others about the plans. Ashelin led Torn to a corner and she soon found that he wasn't facing her but instead was facing the ground instead.

"Torn, what did Jinx mean when he said that your parents were killed and you were captured?" she demanded.

"Ashelin, I really don't want to talk about it," he quietly replied.

She gave him a glare that indicated that she was not in the mood. Torn gave a sigh as he lifted his head enough to look her in the eyes.

"You really want to know about me Ashelin? Our parents were killed by the Krimzon Guard when our identities were found out about 12 years ago. The KG found us hiding out near our home several days later. We were given a choice; either be in the Krimzon Guard and fade out of existence entirely or else everyone finds out who we were and be publicly prosecuted for it! Our name would have been in ruins and our pride even lower than what it was! We never wanted to be in the Krimzon Guard but we were stuck there in order to save our asses," Torn angrily explained.

Torn shot Ashelin an extemely angry look as he headed back over to the others. Ashelin watched him with a sigh, not knowing what to think anymore.

00000

Jak slowly moved in the street, hoping to find someone anyone. He found he could barely move and every bone in his body ached. He looked up to see that no one was nearby. At least not that he could see. his vision was quickly becoming blurry and he couldn't even tell where he was anymore

'Well, they certainly picked a good spot to dump me,' he thought to himself.

Jak managed to crawl to a croner of a building. He laid his back against the wall, hoping that something would happen soon. He closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable to happen.

When he opened them up a split second later, he felt different. The pain that was so recently coursing through his body was now gone. Jak stood up and flexed his arms, wondering how he had healed so quickly without eco.

"Hello Jak," came a strangely familiar voice.

Jak turned around to see Damas standingin the middle of the street, staff in hand.

"Damas? How are you here? I thought you were dead," Jak wondered in disbelief.

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not but that doesn't matter right now. What matters now is if you live or not. Your friends still need you Jak. More than you realize," Damas replied.

Damas silently walked over to Jak, who was still in disbelief over seeing his father again. The older man smiled for he knew what was on the mind of the younger man.

"Please be patient with Torn. He had to deal with in his lifetime," Damas finally said.

"How did you...?" started Jak.

Damas' eyes went to the building across the street. Jak followed his gaze to see that they were across the street from Torn's former house. Jak waited to see what Damas would say before doing anything himself.

"I know a lot more about Torn than you realize Jak. I came to know the brothers when they joined the Krimzon Guard. They were so distraught over the death of their parents and their recent capture," Damas finally told him.

Jak was horrified when he heard that statement. He stared at Damas, wondering how he knew of something like that.

"You knew Torn and Tryce were part of...?" demanded Jak.

"The Clan of Invisibilty? I do. I was one of the few who found out about the family. I had met the four in passing several times before I knew but I never suspected that they would have such a dark secret," Damas replied.

Jak watched as Damas walked over to Torn's old house. Jak soon followed him, figuring he should probably keep up.

"They still need your help Jak. As we speak, they're making plans to stop these two members of the Group of 9. Your friends believe that you're captured," Damas told him.

"But I haven't been captured! I have to find them! Torn knows what happened!" Jak started.

Jak closed his mouth as many thoughts swirled through his mind. Something was really bothering him but he almost didn't want to ask. Damas could tell, however, that something was on Jak's mind.

"Jak, what's wrong?" Damas wondered.

"I've been wondering how the Krimzon Guard knew who the Clan was in the end. By what I understood, the Clan was supposed to be invisible," Jak replied.

Damas smiled once he heard Jak ask that question. He turned to face the younger man with a story in his eyes.

"Jak, the day it all started to go downhill for them was the day they tried to kill the leader of Haven City 14 years ago. I remember that day quite clearly," Damas quietly replied.

"You were there when that happened?" came the astonished question.

"Of course! Who do you think was their target was?" Damas told him.

He began to walk away, leaving a stunned Jak behind. The younger man soon regained his senses and stared at Damas head off into the shadows.

"Wait! I have more questions!" Jak called after him.

He began to run after Damas, not noticing the sidewalk and tripping onto the hard pavement. Jak felt the pain course through his body once again. He tightly shut his eyes and gritted his teeth, hoping it was the result of falling down but he knew it wasn't.

00000

Sig watched the others before grabbing his Peacemaker. He began to head for the door when Ashelin saw him leaving.

"Where are you going?" she called out to him.

"I'm going out for a walk. I need to think some things through," he replied.

Ashelin nodded in reply as she watched him walk through the door. The door shut behind him before her stare turned to Tryce. She narrowed her eyes as she glanced between him and Torn. She could detect some uneasiness on Torn's part and she wondered if his older brother was the problem.

"Shall we continue with this plan once Sig gets back?" wondered Torn.

He received a round of nods before Tryce placed a hand on his shoulder. Torn glanced at him out of the corner of his eye before heading into the next room with him. Samos watched them, hoping nothing was going to happen.

"Once this is all over, you know we will have to do something about them. Everyone except Onin and that blasted bird of hers, annoying as he is," Tryce quietly said.

"Don't you think I know that already?" Torn spat out.

Tryce growled as he grabbed Torn by the throat, causing the younger brother to gasp for air. He continued to hold onto his brother's throat, even when the red haired man dropped to his knees and grasped at his brother's arms.

"Listen to me and listen well Torn. Don't forget who's in charge here. The only reason I'm letting you lead this charge is because you know these do-gooders and we need to stop Rand and Anthar," Tryce warned him.

He released Torn, who then began to cough and gasp for air when Samos walked into the room. Tryce turned enough to see who it was and gave an exasperated sigh.

"What's going on in here?" wondered the sage.

"Nothing. There was something my brother needed to understand," Tryce explained.

Tryce walked past Torn, who carefully watched him as he walked out of the room. Samos stepped towards Torn as he climbed back to his feet.

"It's none of your business," Torn snarled, answering Samos' unasked question.

Torn stormed out of the room, leaving the sage slightly confused.

00000

Sig walked down the street, glancing down the alleyways he passed. He was worried about the two brothers. He remembered hearing about the Clan when he was younger and it wasn't good.

"The Clan is supposed to be dangerous but they are willing to help us? I don't buy it. They have to be up to something," he muttered to himself.

Sig glanced around to see that no one else was around and that he was heading into a dead end street. He began to turn back around when he heard a groan coming from nearby.

"Who's there?" he called out.

He cautiously stepped towards the area where the noises were coming from. With his Peacemaker ready, was expecting anything to come out of the semi-darkness. He was glad there was light coming from the nearby streetlights.

When he came across a figure lying on the ground, he almost dropped his weapon as he instantly recognized who it was. He hurried over to the lifeless form and placed a hand on the shoulder.

"Jak, wake up!" he cried.

Jak groaned again, his eyes tightly shut, causing Sig to worry even more.

"What's going through his head now? I wish I knew. If I ever find out who did it, they are going to severely pay for this," he quietly said.

TBC...