It was 10. 30 pm. And the Moon was shining brightly in the dark, starless
sky.
Torn tossed and turned in his bed. A strange heat pulsed allover his body, making him sweat. His eyes didn't seem to want to shut, and his mind was spinning in a swirl of running thoughts.
Knowing that sleep was impossible, he got slowly out of bed and walked slowly out of his room. A nice, night walk will chill down the fever for good.
Torn made his way instinctively down the lower levels of the palace and went outside, feeling the cool night wind breeze through his brown hair. He walked a few meters away from the palace gates before suddenly looking up to see the moon.
The moon.
Torn: Oh no..
A sharp panic surged through him, telling him to seek shelter at once. But there was no escaping it; the moon had him caught in its embrace, wrapping him in an evil blanket of silver light.
It all came back to him in a flash. The drunk man he killed. The pain. The feel of warm blood down his throat. And the long, terrifying howl that came from his lips.
Torn: No! Don't let this happen to me again!
The pain returned to haunt him, making him cry and fall to his knees.
Knowing that he had only seconds to react, Torn grappled the communicator he left on his belt after his Metalhead hunt. He pressed a few buttons to call Jak, who was off on night duty.
Torn: J-j-jak..come.in..Jak!!!
Meanwhile..
Keira: (Blasting a few Metalheads) Hey, Jak.isn't that your communicator beeping?
Jak: Eh? Oh yeah.
He clicked it on.
Jak: This is Jak.
Torn: (In hoarse voice) Jak! Jak! Help.me.
Jak: Torn? Is that you?
Torn: Help.me.please.please.Hurry!!
Jak: Torn? Hey, speak up-
Torn: Help me, Jak.please! Hur-ARGHHH!!!!
The communicator clicked off.
Jak: Torn? Torn?
Keira: (Sounding worried) What's wrong?
Jak: I think Torn's in trouble.
Daxter: HE'S TURNING INTO A BEAST!!!!!
Jak: (Swallows quietly) I'm going back to check on him.
Keira: I'm coming with you.
Jak: No, you stay here with Tess and lead the group on. It'll be safer for you.
Keira: (Sighs and kisses his cheek) All right, but please be careful.
Jak nodded and hoisted himself onto his hovercraft to return back to Haven City.
*
Once at Haven City..
Jak: (Jumps off hovercraft in front of the palace gates) Come on, Dax.
Daxter: Wait, what's that sound?
Jak turned his long ears to his left and strained to hear. Sure enough, he could hear a soft, strained moan. And its voice was just all too familiar.
Jak: Torn?? What's he doing out here??
Jak walked away from the palace gates and followed the sounds until he found himself in a dark narrow alley. He gasped when he saw a lone figure at its very end.
Jak: Torn?
Torn: Jak..
Daxter: (Shaking) Don't get near him, Jak!
Jak: Come on, Dax! It could be serious!
Jak slowly made his way towards Torn.
Jak: Hey, Torn.it's me Jak. Are you okay?
Torn: Jak.run away.get away from me.
Daxter: (Shaking even harder) I think we should listen to him, Jak!!!!
Jak: (Ignores Daxter) Torn, I'm here to help. What's wrong?
Torn: No.no.run.run when you still can.
Jak: Torn?
Jak went up to him and laid a hand on Torn's quivering shoulder. But before he could say a word, Torn's hand shot up and grapped his wrist with a grip that could crush bone.
Jak: ARGH! What the hell are you-
The words died in his throat when he saw what was happening. Where Torn's blue eyes should have been were two fiery white orbs. Torn's mouth curled into a vicious snarl, and in the bright moonlight Jak caught the glimpse of several pointed fangs.
Daxter: WHAAAAAAAAAARGHHHHH!!!!!
Daxter reacted quickly. With the small claws on his fingers he slashed Torn's morphing face. Torn let out a sharp yelp and released Jak from his crushing grip. Jak stumbled backwards, his eyes wide witnessing the horrifying transformation.
Torn fell to his knees again, letting out a yelp of pain. He covered his face with his now clawed hands. Before Jak's very eyes, metal plates appeared on Torn's back and four limbs. His nose and mouth lenghtened to a muzzle, and his clothes ripped apart due to the enlarged muscles. Jak and Daxter stared with their mouths wide in a silent scream as the fully transformed beast let out a spine-chilling howl to the moon. It turned its evil eyes to Jak, rivulets of spit falling from the sides of its mouth.
Daxter: RUNNNNNNNN!!!!
Jak leaped to his feet and made for his hovercraft. But the beast was way ahead of him, leaping over his head and landing full force onto the small vehicle, crushing it beyond repair.
Daxter: Argggh!
Jak: This way!
Jak ran off to his left, but the beast was just too fast for him. Within a second, it over took the young man and whacked him off his feet with its claws. Jak screamed and Daxter flew off his shoulder.
Before Jak could run away, the beast turned him over and pinned him to the ground with its large paws. It put its face close to Jak's, so close Jak could count each fang.
Jak: Torn.Torn.buddy, it's me Jak remember?
The beast growled loudly at him, its hot breath spraying his face with slimy moist.
Jak: Come on, Torn.I know you're in there somewhere! Please, buddy! It's me, Jak!!
To his greatest surprise the beast's eyes dimmed a bit and its crushing hold on his chest relaxed slightly. It breathed more slowly, but it never took its eyes away from Jak's.
But then suddenly, a blinding flash struck the two. Jak was only blinded, but the beast received the full hit. It let out a terrible pained roar and leaped off Jak's body.
Jak looked up and gasped. Standing not too far away was Harken, leader of the Huntsmen of Mar.
Harken: Bulls-eye!
Harken pulled up his gun and fired at the beast again. A net sprung wide open from the speeding bullet, and the beast was caught in tangled in it. The ropes closed in around the beast's body and gave it a sharp electrical shock. With a whine, it fell limp to the ground.
Jak: No!!
Harken: Hold that thing together with the Electropes and saddle him onto the hovership.
Erol: Yes, sir.
The Huntsmen gathered around the beast's unconcious figure and started to tie it firmly with long, thick black-violet ropes.
Jak: (Running towards Harken) You can't do this.
Harken: (Looking mildly surprised) And why not, my young friend?
Jak: That's.that's my friend you have there in your ropes.
Harken: Oh is it really? (Starts to grin) Looks like you overlooked my warning, eh boy?
Jak: Forget that! Let him go!
Harken: (Turning away) No. He murdered a person, and therefore I have no choice but to take him away.
Jak: What are you going to do with him?
Harken: (Chuckles) That is none of your concern.
Jak watched helplessly as the Huntsmen hoisted the beast onto their large hovership and soared away into the gloom.
Daxter: (Running back towards him and leaping onto his shoulder) So.what are we gonna do now?
Jak: Follow them.
Torn tossed and turned in his bed. A strange heat pulsed allover his body, making him sweat. His eyes didn't seem to want to shut, and his mind was spinning in a swirl of running thoughts.
Knowing that sleep was impossible, he got slowly out of bed and walked slowly out of his room. A nice, night walk will chill down the fever for good.
Torn made his way instinctively down the lower levels of the palace and went outside, feeling the cool night wind breeze through his brown hair. He walked a few meters away from the palace gates before suddenly looking up to see the moon.
The moon.
Torn: Oh no..
A sharp panic surged through him, telling him to seek shelter at once. But there was no escaping it; the moon had him caught in its embrace, wrapping him in an evil blanket of silver light.
It all came back to him in a flash. The drunk man he killed. The pain. The feel of warm blood down his throat. And the long, terrifying howl that came from his lips.
Torn: No! Don't let this happen to me again!
The pain returned to haunt him, making him cry and fall to his knees.
Knowing that he had only seconds to react, Torn grappled the communicator he left on his belt after his Metalhead hunt. He pressed a few buttons to call Jak, who was off on night duty.
Torn: J-j-jak..come.in..Jak!!!
Meanwhile..
Keira: (Blasting a few Metalheads) Hey, Jak.isn't that your communicator beeping?
Jak: Eh? Oh yeah.
He clicked it on.
Jak: This is Jak.
Torn: (In hoarse voice) Jak! Jak! Help.me.
Jak: Torn? Is that you?
Torn: Help.me.please.please.Hurry!!
Jak: Torn? Hey, speak up-
Torn: Help me, Jak.please! Hur-ARGHHH!!!!
The communicator clicked off.
Jak: Torn? Torn?
Keira: (Sounding worried) What's wrong?
Jak: I think Torn's in trouble.
Daxter: HE'S TURNING INTO A BEAST!!!!!
Jak: (Swallows quietly) I'm going back to check on him.
Keira: I'm coming with you.
Jak: No, you stay here with Tess and lead the group on. It'll be safer for you.
Keira: (Sighs and kisses his cheek) All right, but please be careful.
Jak nodded and hoisted himself onto his hovercraft to return back to Haven City.
*
Once at Haven City..
Jak: (Jumps off hovercraft in front of the palace gates) Come on, Dax.
Daxter: Wait, what's that sound?
Jak turned his long ears to his left and strained to hear. Sure enough, he could hear a soft, strained moan. And its voice was just all too familiar.
Jak: Torn?? What's he doing out here??
Jak walked away from the palace gates and followed the sounds until he found himself in a dark narrow alley. He gasped when he saw a lone figure at its very end.
Jak: Torn?
Torn: Jak..
Daxter: (Shaking) Don't get near him, Jak!
Jak: Come on, Dax! It could be serious!
Jak slowly made his way towards Torn.
Jak: Hey, Torn.it's me Jak. Are you okay?
Torn: Jak.run away.get away from me.
Daxter: (Shaking even harder) I think we should listen to him, Jak!!!!
Jak: (Ignores Daxter) Torn, I'm here to help. What's wrong?
Torn: No.no.run.run when you still can.
Jak: Torn?
Jak went up to him and laid a hand on Torn's quivering shoulder. But before he could say a word, Torn's hand shot up and grapped his wrist with a grip that could crush bone.
Jak: ARGH! What the hell are you-
The words died in his throat when he saw what was happening. Where Torn's blue eyes should have been were two fiery white orbs. Torn's mouth curled into a vicious snarl, and in the bright moonlight Jak caught the glimpse of several pointed fangs.
Daxter: WHAAAAAAAAAARGHHHHH!!!!!
Daxter reacted quickly. With the small claws on his fingers he slashed Torn's morphing face. Torn let out a sharp yelp and released Jak from his crushing grip. Jak stumbled backwards, his eyes wide witnessing the horrifying transformation.
Torn fell to his knees again, letting out a yelp of pain. He covered his face with his now clawed hands. Before Jak's very eyes, metal plates appeared on Torn's back and four limbs. His nose and mouth lenghtened to a muzzle, and his clothes ripped apart due to the enlarged muscles. Jak and Daxter stared with their mouths wide in a silent scream as the fully transformed beast let out a spine-chilling howl to the moon. It turned its evil eyes to Jak, rivulets of spit falling from the sides of its mouth.
Daxter: RUNNNNNNNN!!!!
Jak leaped to his feet and made for his hovercraft. But the beast was way ahead of him, leaping over his head and landing full force onto the small vehicle, crushing it beyond repair.
Daxter: Argggh!
Jak: This way!
Jak ran off to his left, but the beast was just too fast for him. Within a second, it over took the young man and whacked him off his feet with its claws. Jak screamed and Daxter flew off his shoulder.
Before Jak could run away, the beast turned him over and pinned him to the ground with its large paws. It put its face close to Jak's, so close Jak could count each fang.
Jak: Torn.Torn.buddy, it's me Jak remember?
The beast growled loudly at him, its hot breath spraying his face with slimy moist.
Jak: Come on, Torn.I know you're in there somewhere! Please, buddy! It's me, Jak!!
To his greatest surprise the beast's eyes dimmed a bit and its crushing hold on his chest relaxed slightly. It breathed more slowly, but it never took its eyes away from Jak's.
But then suddenly, a blinding flash struck the two. Jak was only blinded, but the beast received the full hit. It let out a terrible pained roar and leaped off Jak's body.
Jak looked up and gasped. Standing not too far away was Harken, leader of the Huntsmen of Mar.
Harken: Bulls-eye!
Harken pulled up his gun and fired at the beast again. A net sprung wide open from the speeding bullet, and the beast was caught in tangled in it. The ropes closed in around the beast's body and gave it a sharp electrical shock. With a whine, it fell limp to the ground.
Jak: No!!
Harken: Hold that thing together with the Electropes and saddle him onto the hovership.
Erol: Yes, sir.
The Huntsmen gathered around the beast's unconcious figure and started to tie it firmly with long, thick black-violet ropes.
Jak: (Running towards Harken) You can't do this.
Harken: (Looking mildly surprised) And why not, my young friend?
Jak: That's.that's my friend you have there in your ropes.
Harken: Oh is it really? (Starts to grin) Looks like you overlooked my warning, eh boy?
Jak: Forget that! Let him go!
Harken: (Turning away) No. He murdered a person, and therefore I have no choice but to take him away.
Jak: What are you going to do with him?
Harken: (Chuckles) That is none of your concern.
Jak watched helplessly as the Huntsmen hoisted the beast onto their large hovership and soared away into the gloom.
Daxter: (Running back towards him and leaping onto his shoulder) So.what are we gonna do now?
Jak: Follow them.