"Please have mercy on me, take it easy on my heart. Even though you don't mean to hurt me, you keep tearing me apart. Would you please have mercy, mercy on my heart?" Mercy by Shawn Mendes, 2016

The ABC's of Orderly Chaos

Chapter Thirteen: M is for Mercy

Parker was bored with the Green Eco Cup, but why was a different question. She was bored with her everyday life. Bored with the fact that she spent her days watching from Pit Row, bored of listening to the racing stories from her friends and bored of being the damsel in distress. Bored with their consistent wins.

She was happy though but bored she wasn't enjoying it like her friends were.

Instead she sat in Pit Row watching the race, not bothering talking to Jak or the others. Soon her boredom turned to rage and a hatred that burned hotter then desert sand. She hated Rayn for not letting her race as she watched her friends move closer to the Blue Eco Cup. She hated herself for letting Rayn do these things and she hated the inner voice that wished for something dark to happen. A wheel would break and Torn would crash or maybe Sig would drive into a post, nothing serious but it required a new racer.

She quit being a Pit Boss that week; as the thoughts became more aggressive.

Now she sat in the Medical Bay watching the race from a broken spinning chair. Slim worked quietly on reports and ignored the races unless there was a crisis.

"Mizo's getting desperate." She said glancing to her old friend. "He even hired Kleiver for his team."

"Kleiver's a soild racer," Slim mumbled. "Maybe Mizo's finally taking this game seriously?"

"Which team are you on?"

"Medical science." He glanced up from his work. "I don't enjoy watching the body count." She looked away from him as his chair wheeled closer. "Although, I think you're enjoying him race."

Parker looked up, the camera was following Jak around a wide turn. He was stuck behind Sig in this race, the last race of the Green Eco Cup. She gave a quick smirk before pushing away from the desk she was lounging at, she spun into the middle of the room and jumped off the chair to run to the closest bed. She grabbed her keys, she pulled her hair into a ponytail.

"Just so you know, he won all the races and Kleiver came in fourth for the last two races." Slim said as he threw his feet onto the table.

"Very bold of you to think he already won this race."

"Then where are you going?" Slim asked. "To give the winner a kiss?"

"Shut up." She stuck her tongue out and ran from the bay. "See you tonight!" She shouted as she went to loading bay's deck. She took the stairs instead of the elevator but stopped when she saw Keira standing with Commission Officials. They were loading a trapped something into a transporter, Keira nodded to the men and signed their documents. They snatched them back from Keira and walked off, the teal-haired girl just stared after them before moving to follow them. She yelled something Parker couldn't hear before she stomped out of sight. Parker rolled her eyes, she didn't have time to deal with Keira's garage problems.

She ran up the rest of the stairs and entered Pit Row. From the looks on Mizo's managers -and the hooting and hollering from Lena and Tess- Parker knew they had won the Green Eco Cup. "We won!" Lena shouted jumping on her, Parker laughed as Tess ran past them; heading to give the winner a kiss. Lena took Parker's hand. "C'mon, we're partying tonight and you need to drink enough for the two of us!"

Parker smiled and let her friend drag her away from the pouting over their loss. Lena wobbled ahead of her, her hand was sweaty and warm in Parker's. She never thought she'd see the day where Lena was pregnant, where Amberly was their enemy and Parker was dating the prisoner she captured almost three years ago. Lena couldn't race for Mizo, how would he demand she repay her debt? She squeezed her friend's hand as they climbed the stairs to the stage. Parker stopped and let go of Lena's hand.

"Lena... whatever happens... you know I won't let you fall into Mizo's hands."

Lena turned to her. "We're in this together Park, no matter what. If you go, so do I."

"Okay." Parker smiled. "Of course."

"C'mon," Lena smiled. "I think there's a hot blonde who wants a kiss for his win."

She climbed the stairs towards the cheers, the sun was dying off and the streaks of purple, pink and orange cut the sky into night. She glanced around as the cameras focused on the mad Kleiver as he shouted at the men on his team. She stopped when she noticed Razer and UR-86 watching her, but she picked up the speed and ran to her friends. Sig nodded to her as GT. Blitz nodded at Jak and Daxter as the video cameras moved away from them. Daxter ran to Tess and flashed a pose, earning a squeal and hug from Tess.

Jak walked to Sig first, smirking as the man joked for a second before giving Jak a hand on the back. His eyes searched their friends before falling on her, he smiled at her as her stomach churned. She pressed a hand against it and smiled back at him.

"Stop standing there!" Daxter shouted. "It's time to paaaaaaarty Drake!"

The club scene in Kras City was loud and flashy. Parker briefly remembered it when she visited with her family, her parents didn't let her go out and she could only listen from the windows. She sat in a booth with all her friends around her, she was very aware of Jak who was sitting right beside her. His hand on her inner thigh, squeezing every so often and she would offer a nod signaling she was okay.

She barely touched her drink of vodka soda, she sat and watched the ice melt. When she wasn't watching her melting drink she was watching Razer, he sat with his crew and slowly sipped his own drink. A dangerous smirk across his face, sometimes he would mouth tick tock to her and smirk. The others started to watch her as well, each of them smiling or winking at her.

She shuddered when Jak whispered something to her and moved her hair across her neck, she couldn't listen as she closed her eyes and fought off tears. When she looked over to them for the fifth time, Razer nodded and stood. His minions followed and they headed out of the bar, Parker lowered her head and waited until they were gone.

"I need to go to the bathroom." She whispered to Jak.

"I think we should get out of here, anyways," He whispered back. "Head back to the hotel? You don't seem to be into partying."

She gave him a small smile. "Not really, sorry. You stay and enjoy yourself." She slid out of the booth. "I'll see you in the morning." He reached out and grabbed her by the shoulder, he pulled her close and brushed a kiss across her lips. She was about to pull away when he grabbed her and pulled her closer, his fingers trailed up her back and rested on her neck. She shuddered as he pulled away and gave her a smaller kiss on her cheek.

"See you then." He whispered as their friends hooted, telling them to get a room. She only smiled at him and backed away, she headed towards the bathroom but slipped out the back door. She leaned against it and slid down to her butt. She covered her head and sobbed. She wanted to curl into a ball never move again, she belonged out here with the trash and dirt. A rat ran past her, pausing to sniff at the can beside her foot before moving on. She looked up, the clouds were dark as they moved over the city. She smelt the rain moving in and could feel the chill settling for the night. Her communicator beeped.

"Walk towards the pier. No weapons." From an unknown source.

Standing on her numb legs, she walked away from the bar and headed into the street. She walked down the cobblestones, her fists opening and closing as she walked towards the meeting spot. Sooner or later lights would drive up behind her, they would open their door and she'd get in -like every other time she imagined this night.

Before she planned on fighting. Kicking and screaming as they dragged her away from her friends, all fighting against Mizo's goons. Now she walked down a cold path, broken, lost and worthless. She didn't deserve friends like Lena and Ashelin, Torn shouldn't have hired her and she never should've started dating Jak -or helping him. She choked on her tears as she walked, each step getting heavier and heavier until lights cut along her path. She stopped and grabbed at her skirt, trying to hold back a sob as the lights stopped and the driver cut their engine. She raised her hands, showing she wasn't armed.

"I'm unarmed," I shouted. "Just like you asked."

"Parker?" She turned, Jak walked towards her. "What are you doing? The hotel is that way. Where are you- Are you crying?" She clutched her chest as he walked towards her, he wasn't supposed to be here -yet here he was. He gathered her into his arms, squeezing her as she sobbed into his shoulder. "Are you okay, did someone hurt you?"

"Not yet." A voice whispered from the dark, she cried out and grabbed his shirt as he pushed her against his car. She didn't need to look up to know who was speaking, she heard Jak cock his gun as the shadows came alive around them. She felt herself sliding closer to the door of the car, he was planning a quick getaway, but she wasn't sure how long they could outrun them. He tightened his fist on the back of her shirt, she looked towards the first voice. Razer came out of the darkness, he took a long drag of his cigarette. "I expected this, that why I came with backup."

"Move along Razer." Jak snarled.

"Of course, of course, but we have an appointment with Mizo. You know, me, the boys... and her."

"What does he want with her." Jak snapped pulling her closer but also moving her towards the door. She let go of his shirt and slowly sat down, she trembled in the seat. This wasn't how it was supposed to go, she was supposed to walk right into Razer's hands and then right in Mizo's open arms.

"Well you see, she signed a contract with Mizo."

"Impossible," He snarled again, Parker looked around. Several of Mizo's men have noticed she's seated. Some even started whispering to each other as they spoke on. She slipped her legs into the car, she moved herself to the edge of the car as Jak placed a hand on the wheel.

"How do you think she raced in Haven?" Razer asked. "You think Praxis just let the little rebel race? Who do you think provided cars to Kras and Haven? I'll give you a clue, she's very pregnant right now."

"Well take it up with her then."

"Jak!" Parker hissed.

He crouched down in front of her. "If this is Lena's problem, then she needs to fix it herself. You can't always take care of her."

Parker looked around, the men started to creep closer. She looked at Jak as his finger twitched on his gun, she opened her mouth to confess -confess everything, tell him she did sign a contract with Mizo, that she wasn't even supposed to be on Krew's team- but he shoved her deeper into the car. She tumbled into the passenger seat, falling into the pit as Jak jumped into the car. He fired his gun several times before racing off, turning his wheel sharply, almost causing Parker to fall out. She grabbed the seatbelt and pulled herself up, sitting in the passenger seat as other cars lit up the night.

"Sig!" Jak shouted into his communicator. "Mizo's gang is after us. There are about six cars," Jak glanced back. "Maybe seven. We need help. I'm gonna lead them towards the Dethdome."

"Got it cherry!" Sig responded in seconds.

"Jak stop, you don't understand what's going on!" Parker shouted.

"I understand that you were willing to give yourself up to Mizo, for what a contract you signed as a teenager during a war?"

"You don't know what it was like back then!"

"Did Erol make you do it?" He snapped.

"Erol? No! He was against it…" She trailed off looking down at her hands. "He was against it… told me to sign with Praxis and Krew. He never brought it up again."

"Well he wasn't the smartest man in Haven," Jak said taking a sharp corner, Parker gripped against her seatbelt. "Down!" Jak shouted, shoving her down as a hail of gunfire rained down on them. Why was he so worried about her getting hit? She could heal herself in minutes, she forced herself back up and looked back. She spotted Shiv and Razer closing in, Shiv drove three car lengths from the back of their bumper. "Don't worry we'll be with our friends soon, they'll help."

"They can't fix this." She shouted. "Stop the damn car and let me out. Let me go!"

"Are you insane?!" Jak shouted back. "You want to go with them?"

"I don't want to, but I made a promise!"

"The same one you made during a war! Do you really want to go back with them? To be back in that strip club again? Cuz if that's where you want to be I can drop you off."

She ran her hands through her hair. "You don't understand."

"Then make me understand- Hold on," He skidded across the cobblestones and raced down a short alley, Parker looked back as the other cars followed. "Damn it. I thought that would work."

"This is their city, they know all the ways," Parker whispered.

"Why aren't you fighting back?" Jak asked.

"Because- Watch out!" She screamed as a darker car slid in front of them, Jak slammed on the brakes but still hit the bumper of the car. Jak pulled the wheel left but a wave of gunfire hit the car and the engine exploded. He hit the breaks but the car was already out of control, spinning out before flipping.

Jak woke up with a gasp, his brain flashing back to his father. Damas pinned underneath the car, his gasping words begging Jak to find his son and save his people. He made himself a promise, he'd be there for his own child. Make the world safe for whoever he brought into this world… but with who?

Parker...

He turned his head, the cobblestones rough on the back of his head. Where was she? How long was he out for? Did they take her already?

He could hear short and fast gasps, they sounded painful. He looked to his right, laying a foot away was Parker. The gasps were coming from her, he could see a chunk of glass sticking out of her chest, just below her breast. She was looking at him, she gave a small smile, her teeth red with blood. Her hand was outstretched to him, her other hand was rested on her stomach. Could she die from this? Bleed out?

"Parker…" He whispered rolling onto his stomach, he hissed as pain shot up his leg. Most likely broken or worse. He pulled himself across the ground, grabbing her outstretched hand as she gave a giggle. "This isn't funny." He snapped.

"K-Kill me." She stuttered, a small cry breaking at the end. "Don-on't let th-em take m-m-me."

"So sweet." Razer mused Jak glared towards the man. He tapped the end of his cigarette on the wreck. "But Green Eco can fix anything, I give her a day before she's back to normal, eh boys?"

"Perfect for racing." Shiv answered.

"No." Jak snarled.

"Oh we weren't asking for permission, poppy." Kleiver chuckled stepping up to Parker, she shuddered as he bent down beside her and brushed the hair off her neck. "This is where Erol put her second tracker," He said tracing her collarbone. "Man never liked having his play things too far."

"Don't fucking touch her!" Jak shouted.

"Trouble boss," Edje shouted. "Their friends are coming."

"I guess we should make our leave then, eh?" Razer asked, he walked up to Parker and took a long drag from his smoke. "Just want to leave you with this visual remind Jak." He lowered his cigarette to Parker's chest. "Mizo owns racing in this city, in this world." She screamed as he dug the cigarette into her chest. He left it there as he pulled out a knife. He dug it into her collarbone, she screamed louder and grabbed at his arm before Kleiver pinned her arms down. "You don't have anything in this world. You've lost your traitor father and this girl," He pulled out the knife, a flashing red and silver beacon beeped before Razer dropped it in front of him. "She belongs to Mizo."

"I'll find her." Jak snarled.

"Oh, we have no doubt you will." Razer chuckled. "But will you want her back when we're done with her?" The men laughed, and Shiv came into Jak's view. "Nighty nighty, lover boy."

He looked to Parker, she was fading into unconsciousness as his world went dark, followed by pain.

TBC…