"Sometimes you have to hurt for the cause to be reached, but one day you'll be stronger than all that you beat..." Battle Cry by Angel Haze ft Sia, 2014

The ABC's of Gods Monsters

Chapter Twenty-Five: Y is for Yaar

She hung from the ceiling like her times before, she let her arm fall downwards, raking through her hair as her guards snarled at her. She swung herself back and forth, watching their faces as they stared at her. There were many things she regretted in her life. She regretted teaming up with Erol to work on the Dark Warrior Project (although if it meant that Jak wouldn't be in her life, she'd do it a million times). Even though she hated Erol with every fiber of her being, she still loved him in a tiny piece of her heart. She remembered their first kiss outside of the Hip Hog and the few fun times she got to enjoy. She remembered the day he turned against her, the day he physically assaulted her in the prison -and once again, Jak was her saviour.

She growled to herself, damn she was developing a damsel in distress complex. This time, though, Jak won't be the one saving her. She was going to get out of this thing all by herself. She flipped herself, so she was upside down. She watched the Dark Makers as they watched her, curious eyes staring at her. The time she spent with Damas healing his plant, she was able to focus her Green Eco into healing the plant -even if she wasn't able to save it. Could she do that to the Hive? Could she damage it enough to the point here they'd have to push the invasion back several days? Maybe even a month? She swung herself up into a sitting position, facing away from her guards and looked up.

She barely made it out of the first time she did it, could this time be the same? Would she die? She sighed, if she did, it was for a good cause. She widened the tangled mess of cloth Erol had installed for her and rested in the thickest one. She draped one leg off the side and swung herself, sending all her Eco towards the tip top of the building. She knew there was a Skull Gem at the top, whose, she didn't know and didn't care as she slipped into the world she knew...

She felt someone grip both her hands, a rough gloved one with many scars and many old memories, some pleasant and the other hostile. The hand gave her a quick squeeze. The hand was fearful but also strong than her, they didn't have many memories but they were willing to make some and forgive what she had done.

The other hand squeezed tighter, hurting her as she cried out. Its grip was mechanic and painful as the softer hand pulled her closer, the hand grew a body as she leaned against it. She watched as the once rough gloved hand twisted with wires and bolts, it twisted her hand slightly as she cried out for mercy. An arm snaked around her waist as the mechanic hand grew a body covered in shadows, Dark Eco spilled out of it's edges as it pulled the two towards it.

"Fight it." A force whispered in her ear. "Don't let him take you, take us, take the world." The hostile let go of her and wrapped around her waist, he pulled as Parker grabbed the metal hand with her other hand. She pulled at its fingers as she cried out, her own fingers began to bleed as she snapped his finger back and the metal hand vanished. It was replaced with the gloved hand, the man it belonged to dropped in front of her. Erol sat in front of her her, naked and shivering as he stared up at her. But he wasn't looking at her, she turned herself to look at the person holding her. She gasped when she looked into Jak's eyes, but there was a hand on his shoulder, it was dark with yellow nail polish. Behind him stood Lena, and behind her stood Liv, Slim and Dash, giant smiles on their faces. She could see everyone, Ashelin, Torn, Daxter, Keira, Tess, Samos (young and old), the Kid... everyone was there. She turnedk back to Erol as she let go of his hand.

"Please don't..." He whispered.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. "I love you... but I'm better hands..." His body cracked as pieces started to fly away, becoming dust in the wind as the world blurred out of view...

She stood in front of The Creature again, he opened his arms to her. "Have you figured it out yet?"

Parker looked behind her, none of her friends were there anymore. She looked back to the creature as her heart raced, words she didn't know came to her lips as-

Parker felt the pain of a bullet, she toppled out of her swing and fell a story to the ground. She hit hard and the wind was knocked out of her, she gasped as she felt her ribs snap back into place as Green Eco worked around her body. She stared at the feet that walked towards her, they belonged to Flint as the Dark Makers stood behind him as Green Eco bubbled around us. Flint simply stepped over it, ignoring the healing Eco. He reached down and grabbed her by the hair, pulling her upwards and holding her there as she snarled at him. "You're becoming more trouble than you're worth!"

"Then just kill me."

"Nice try." He chuckled. "There's no way to kill a Drake, but Praxis found a way."

"Really, you're going to play that card?"

"I just want to know how he did it!" He shouted.

Parker shrugged as Flint pulled her to her feet, Parker held her hair as he dragged her towards the edge of the platform they were on. She looked down as he grabbed her wrist and pushed her forward slightly. Parker gasped as she looked down, nearly four flights down to the bottom. Flint ran a hand along her stomach as he held her there.

"Is it heights?"

"I survived the Dead Town Massacre, Erol slit my throat, he also tortured me to madness, I've been tainted with Dark Eco twice now and I survived the desert," Parker smirked, looking back at him. "I also jumped out of window, and just dropped from my swing, heights not going to do it." Flint yanked her back from the edge and threw her towards the middle of the platform. She stumbled but quickly regained her footing. He tossed a morph gun, she caught it with both hands as he walked towards her.

"I will figure out what it is and then I'll deliver your traitorous body to Erol." He pulled out his own gun and pointed it at her. "Then you'll pay for all the blood on your hands!" He fired once, Parker dropped to the ground as it grazed over her head. She smirked and stood, she pointed her own weapon at him and fired three times before vanishing herself. She appeared right next to him and kicked him behind the knees, he fell to his knees as the bullet grazed his shoulders and she kicked him in his stomach. She stepped on his back with her bare feet, she stepped over him walked away.

"You better have more than that Flint. You're dealing with a seasoned professional. Erol and I lived in these situations." She turned around as he pushed himself up, he coughed uncontrollably as Parker walked around him like a shark stalking it's prey. "Do you know what it's like to lose yourself in battle? To become a part of the death, to become a part of the murderous horde that walks the streets? I do."

"I heard about Dead Town."

"Everyone heard about Dead Town." She snapped, firing twice, the bullets hitting his shoulder as he cried out in pain. She rolled her eyes. "Seriously? This is what you said we you'd teach me a lesson?" She fake yawned. "Pretty sad Flint, I've seen more danger in a basket of kittens."

Flint rolled onto his back and held his shoulder, he looked to her and smirked. "You're just like Erol." Her blood heated up at that statement. She stalked over him, not even bothering with the vanishing act. She stomped on his chest, using any Eco she had in her. She felt something break as he cried out. She bent down to his face, her front still on his chest, she looked at the fear in his eyes even though he held a smug face.

"Listen here, little boy. Erol and I have something you can never have. A dangerous mind. We search for danger, for things to kill out of nature. We lust after it, we lust after each other. I'm his shield, and he's mine." She sat on his chest, and held her left hand up, producing her family's knife -not the original or anywhere close to the design that her father had made. It's tip gleamed brightly with Dark Eco as she grabbed it with her right hand. "There's something about him, that makes me act like this. Like a crazy beast that needs to kill, from that first night in front of the Hip Hog, we've been intertwined and we'll belong to no one else -while the other one is alive." She pointed the knife towards Flint's eye. "I've finally found someone who understands me, who knows how crazy I am and doesn't care -and he might be just as crazy as I am. But, I will not let him live in Erol's shadow."

"And that's your downfall," Flint smirked. "Erol will always be your true love and nothing, not even Jak, will fill that void once Erol's gone."

She felt her heartbeat, for a second, harder. Was it true? Was there a part of her heart that Jak couldn't have because it still belonged to Erol? She started breathing harder, he was right. Last night, she gave every part of herself to Jak. But was there a small part that was left, the part that Erol had before. And while she enjoyed what she and Jak did, there was something a little off about it -at first she thought it was because she was a virgin but now she knew, it was the piece that Erol still had. She'd never be free of Erol, no matter how much she tried. He haunts her every being. Erol was right, they were a packaged deal, two broke things that belonged together. They'd always find each other, no matter how long they were apart.

She screamed, the scream that let others know you lost something. Sometimes it can be losing a loved one or losing a battle, but Parker it was something more precious. She lost herself. She screamed and covered her face as Flint chuckled beneath her. She couldn't, and wouldn't, get over Erol... could she save the world if that meant killing Erol?

"What's wrong?" Flint chuckled. "Realized something heart and earth-shattering?"

Parker grabbed the knife with both hands and raised it above her head, he needed to be silenced, if he was quiet he couldn't repeat it to-

"Parker!" She heard her name and she turned, it was Jak and Daxter. They looked horrible with bruises, cuts and burns all over their bodies. Parker's hands trembled as they came running towards her, she put out her hand to say no when Flint grabbed her and flipped her underneath him. "Parker!" Jak shouted again.

"NO!" She shouted, the last of the Dark Eco flaring in her veins. It burned around her as her Green Eco struggled against it's darkness. "This is my fight." She snarled, her voice sounding more aggressive than she wanted it to. Jak stopped when he heard her, he looked to Flint before looking back at her. Both of the boys nodded and ran towards the elevator to Erol's top floor.

"Stupid move, Drake." Flint chuckled once the boys were out of sight. She looked up at him as he grabbed her knife. He stabbed downwards right into her neck, she coughed as blood began to pour from her left side of her neck. She covered her neck as he got off of her, he stood and dropped the knife beside her. "I found your weakness, it's your friends, your love, and your loyalty. Die knowing that you can't save anybody. Goodbye Lieutenant." He said turning away from her and walking towards the elevator. Was he going to be with Erol for the last moments? No, he said she couldn't save anyone... he was going to kill Jak and Daxter.

With her other hand, she pushed herself up slowly. Struggling to get into a sitting position, she grabbed the knife and forced herself to stand. She dragged her feet as her vision blurred in front of her. And she was faced with a dark reality... this could kill her. She'd literally die from blood loss. Her body could try and heal it but how long would that take? Could her body heal her wound and replace the blood she was losing?

She vanished herself forward, stumbling just to the foot of the elevator as it came back down. She stepped on and fell to her knees, her heart was racing now and she was getting cold. Her fingers felt numb as the elevator reached the top floor. Erol and Jak were talking -and Daxter was yelling. But it was Flint who caught her eye, he inched slowly towards Jak. A gun pointed at the man in front of him -Jak.

Parker stepped forward and vanished herself forward, knowing right where she wanted to be. She landed on Flint's back, he cried out as Parker jammed her family's knife into his skull. Flint made an animalistic sound as he tried to grab Parker as he fell forward, Parker grabbed his gun as they fell forward.

He hit the ground hard with a loud thud, Parker stood over his corpse as she looked at Erol and Jak. Two of the men she loved, two of the men who could give her everything. She stepped away from Flint's corpse and raised her gun, firing a couple of shots at Erol. He didn't flinch as the bullets barely hit him, Parker stumbled forwards as she dropped the gun. Erol said something to Jak before jumping through the portal, Parker gave a pathetic sound as she fell to her knees.

Jak picked up something from the ground, a Dark Eco crystal that sparked around them. The building shook as Jak ran at her, scooping her up and running to the opening bay. He jumped through it and Parker felt the feeling of falling as she grabbed Jak around his neck, he held onto her as he pressed a rough hand against her neck. She felt the overpowering warmth of Light Eco enter her body as Daxter bounced on her lap saying, that was badass! But she hardly listened to anything else he said as she stared at the hive as it exploded, taking the few Dark Makers, the portal, Flint's body and her old self behind.

TBC...