DISCLAIMER: I don't own Jak II in any way, got it? It belongs to Naughty Dog. The stupid genius they are… ***pout***
A/N: Hello, I'm back with another chapter and I hope maybe more people will review now that I've put Jak and Co. into the story. Thanks to the one person who reviewed.
To Angeles Erare: Thanks for being my only reviewer. Believe it or not this was originally supposed to be an Action/Adventure/Romance fic but FF.net forgot to label it. Grrr, luckily that problem has been fixed. :)
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Act Two: Strange Visitors"Welcome a stranger into your home. Rest the weary travel, rest your soul. But be warned of the darkness in all. Things are not always as they seem."
Marisa screamed as she was pulled higher and higher into the air. She could not tell who her capturer was but she could tell he/she/it was strong. The hand gripping her mouth reminded her of a foot crushing an ant.
They reached the top of the tower and her feet touched the cool metal softly. The hand released her mouth and she dropped to her knees. Her body leaned forward and her palms braced against the stone to keep her body off the ground. Gathering all her strength she turned, ready to face her new enemies.
But blinked instead.
A smile curved her lips as she stepped towards the two forms. Yes, they were angry she could tell, but she was too relieved to see them to care. The two figures, whom Marisa had always considered a little too serious for their own good, frowned at her.
"Sala, Gareth." Marisa said, clasping her hands behind her back and swinging her shoulders from side to side, "Ah… fancy meeting you here?"
Sala of Rye and Gareth of Luxhine still hovered above the ground. Though they bore no wings to speak of, the technology of their city allowed them to fly. Instead of wearing their army boots, they wore heavy silver boots with an extension on the bottom, giving them a platform look. If one looked close enough, you were able to see the hot air coming from the bottom the boot, giving it its levitation.
"Indeed." Sala of Rye said, the frown never leaving her face. Marisa couldn't help but wince. Sala was the last person you wanted to annoy.
However, Gareth was a different story. She looked over at his and saw that her handler's handsome face was contorting in anger. She almost smirked. In five seconds he'd have an outburst of rage. It was almost funny how predictable he was.
Five…
Four…
Three…
Two…
One…
"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!?" Gareth thundered, storming over to her. But he stopped his rampage when he caught sight of her arm, "What happened to your arm, Marisa? Who did this to you?"
She shook her head fiercely and said, "Gareth, this is hardly a matter of concern! You won't believe what I saw! I can hardly believe myself. Sala, I saw… oh my Goddess, Sala I saw…"
But
Sala's eyes were looking beyond Marisa. Her eyes widened with shock and she
whispered in a chocked voice, "Oh my Goddess…"
"What Sala?" Gareth asked and
turned his head to look in the direction of Sala's eyes. And he saw what had
caught her attention, "No way… Goddess's ghost, is it possible?"
Marisa turned as well and saw that her two friends were looking at the blonde boy and his orange creature friend as they neared the tower. But what had caught their attention was the young woman that had caused herself to be found out.
"It has to be her, right Sala? I mean no one can look that close to…" she shook her head, unable to finish the sentence, "The resemblance is remarkable, right? Do you think she could really be her? After all these years, is she still alive?"
Gareth hadn't taken his eyes off the girl, "It has to be her. I know it is. I can feel it."
Sala turned her head away from the girl and looked over at Gareth. She suddenly remembered why Gareth would have more interest in the girl then she or Marisa. Why his eyes looked like that. A growl worked its way into her throat.
Gareth turned and looked over at her in surprise. He opened his mouth slightly and said, "What—" But a screech filled the air. The three companions' heads jerked to the sky at the sound of the all too familiar battle cry.
"Harpies!" Marisa whispered in horror.
"They must have found out about her as well!" Gareth said, baring his teeth, "This proves it, if that son of a bitch is coming after this girl then she has to be her! Come on!"
As Gareth to the air and moved to the ground, Sala groaned, "He is being blinded." She said before she followed, Marisa close behind.
Gareth watched as the harpies—three of them—landed in front of the girl, the boy and the strange creature. The girl stood at the boy's side in horror of the creatures while the boy's grip on his gun tightened. The creature jumped behind the boy and shouted something like 'ah, bad women!'
He had to get there fast, he knew. The harpies wouldn't allow the girl to live, seeing as their commander wished all his people's hopes to be destroyed. Unless he got her away from the harpies, the young woman was as good as dead.
The boy had wisely stepped in front of the girl, but Gareth knew that that would not be enough. The harpies were fast enough to dodge the bullets of the young man's gun and their talon-like fingers would easily rip through the flesh of the girl.
The girl backed away as all harpies fastened their eyes upon her. She must have sensed they were after her. The harpies threw their heads back and screeched. Then the lunged forward. The young man snarled and shot one in the chest, but the others moved past him.
Time to make my move. Gareth clicked his boots together and his speed was increased. He moved steadily closer to the girl as the harpies bore down on her.
Just as they had her, their talons raised to tear her pale flesh, Gareth reached her. In one blinding motion he scooped her up in his arms, one had cupping the back of her knees and another, her back. He took the air and the harpies howled.
He looked over his shoulders and saw Marisa kicking one of the harpies and Sala using her labrys to remove one of the harpy's arms. Then they too followed Gareth to the sky, the remaining harpy following.
Gareth looked over at Sala as she came up to his side, "There's one behind us, ten o'clock!" he shouted and Sala grinned a furious grin.
"No problem." She said and cut the speed on her boots. She dropped behind Marisa and Gareth. She spun her labrys in her hands and jerked it out. The harpy, coming fast up her side, didn't have a chance to dodge the deadly weapon as it found its mark in the bird-woman's neck. The headless body fell into the water. Sala clicked her boots together and caught up with Marisa and Gareth.
Gareth, feeling that they were out of danger, looked down at the girl he held in his arms. He smiled.
Keira Hagai looked back up at him in horror. She was still taking everything in. It had all happened so fast. First, Jak had shot at a girl with large white wings. Then the girl had attacked Jak with her sharp stars. Jak had chased the girl over to one of the towers in the Port. Strange bird-like women had landed in front of them and seemed to want to cause her serious harm. Finally, she was in the arms of a man she didn't know.
She looked into his baby blue eyes and felt a shiver work its way up her spine. Something was triggered deep in the recesses of her mind.
~~Keira leaned forward across the table as far as her four-year-old body would allow. She felt the warm hand on her shoulder but didn't look up at its owner. She knew who that was. Instead her eyes were on the young boy across from her. She felt herself frown. She didn't like Gareth of Luxhine for a reason she couldn't remember. Gareth looked over at her and smiled.
"Are we ready to sign the papers?" Said a voice she couldn't place.~~
Keira snapped out of her vision and trembled in fear. What was that? It couldn't be one of her memories could it? After all, she had spent her childhood in Sandover Village, not that strange room with those strange people.
Then a bullet whizzed by the top of the head of the man holding her. She looked over at his shoulder and saw Jak and Daxter—her friends—making their way to them on the jet board. Suddenly she snapped back into reality.
She started kicking, trying to land a punch on the man's jaw, and screamed, "Put me down! Put me down!" Her leg hit a shin, hard.
Gareth cursed and looked over at Sala in annoyance, "Who taught her to kick?" he wondered and Sala shrugged.
"You are forgetting, commander, that she has not been in the city for many years. She has lived here, obviously. She grew up as one of these people." Sala explained.
What city? Where these people insane? Keira bared her teeth and continued to kick, "I said put me down. NOW!"
"Do as she says." Marisa said.
"What!?" Gareth shouted in surprise, "If she is her then we need to take her to the city. It's the only way to save her!"
"She's right, Gareth." Sala said, looking at Keira with a frown, "We cannot bring her anywhere without her consent. You and I both know that."
Gareth growled fiercely, remembering the look on the young man's face, and said, "Alright fine. It might be easier to convince her to come with us if we explain it properly."
Keira
looked between them as they spoke. She understood their words but she didn't
understand their meaning. What was it they wanted her to do? Why did they have
to convince her to come with them?
She didn't really know but she
did know that she wanted to be back on the ground and near Jak. Once she had
Jak besides her she'd feel safer. Jak could always make her feel safe when she
was near him.
Gareth said something Keira didn't catch under his breath and slowly they started to descend. As she watched them lower themselves to the ground she saw Jak, with a scowl on his face, move over to them with his gun ready to fire.
~~**~~
Jak glared at the three flying humans as they lowered to the ground with Keira in tow.
At his side, his best friend Daxter was saying, "Whoa, they fly!? Great. Just great. The fun never stops with you, Jak." He crouched on Jak's shoulder as if prepared to leap in case of another attack.
The three humans touched the ground and Jak lifted his gun threateningly, "Let her go." He said.
His eyes meet with the man who carried Keira in his arms. Their eyes, light and dark, meet and Jak felt a warm anger settle in his stomach. He watched as the young man's arm tightened around Keira. A growl rose in his throat. He recognized the movement as a statement of territory.
He didn't know who this young man was or what claims he thought he had on Keira, but it was enough to make him lose control of his anger. He bit the inside of his cheek and kept the rage in check. The young man holding Keira noticed the look of anger in Jak's eyes and recognized another from of territorial statement.
Keira glared at the man who held her and pushed her hands against his chest, forcing him to let her go. She back away from the three of them and moved over to Jak. He reached out and grabbed her arm, dragging her behind him.
"Who are you?" Keira asked.
The young woman with black hair narrowed her eyes, "You don't know?"
Keira shook her head and Jak snapped, "Should she?"
"We weren't asking you." The young man retorted back to Jak and then said to Keira, "My lady, I'm Gareth of Luxhine and this is Sala of Rye and Marisa of the Fallen. Don't you remember us?"
"No." Keira said though Gareth's name sounded vaguely familiar, "I've never seen you before in my life."
"Don't lie!" Thundered Sala as she moved forward, but a motion with the gun by Jak had her stopping, "You know very well who we are, my lady. Don't play stupid, what would your mother say?"
Now it was Keira's turn to get angry. Her eyes narrowed and her fists clenched, "I don't know what you're talking about and I am not stupid. For your information I grew up in Sandover Village and my mother died when I was one. I don't know how you know her."
Gareth was shaking his head, "My lady, please listen. You… you're from our city… not this Sandover Village. We left you for dead ten years ago, but there is no denying who you are. Every member of our city would know you by sight. There is no difference between you and your mother, expect perhaps your eyes … and your attitude. But I contribute that to this city."
He stepped towards her and Jak growled, "That's as far as you go."
Gareth turned his head and they glared at one another, "You… you silly little boy, who do you think you are? I am a general in the Royal Fleet of the Holy City!"
"Well my buddy Jak here's ten times better then you'll ever be!" Daxter said from Jak's shoulders, "He saved this city for your information. Why don't you run along now and do us all a favour and NEVER RETURN!"
Marisa bared her teeth at Daxter, "One who hides behind someone stronger has no right to talk of bravery."
Jak's lip twitched in anger, "Let's go." he said and Gareth pulled out his scimitar.
"Wait!" Keira shouted and both men obeyed, though their glares did not leave, "We'll talk to Daddy and he'll straighten all this out. You'll see that you've made a mistake. Jak, come on."
Sala looked over at Marisa and then made the decision, "Very well. I am hoping your 'father' will shed some light on this and maybe you will turn out to be nothing more then a mere girl with a familiar face. Then I can forget I ever met you or your friends."
Keira glared at her and then turned, "Follow me. Daddy's at the Naughty Ottsel." Then she began to walk. Sala, Gareth, and Marisa followed. Jak made them get in front of him so he could keep an eye on them and have a better chance of shooting them with his gun if they tried anything.
Keira had hoped Jak would've walked with her. They hadn't been spending a lot of time together. Keira had been preparing for another racing season while Jak was often going outside the city walls to hunt down the remaining Metal Heads, the cronies of the evil Metal Head leader Kor.
Truth was the young man confused her. He blew hot and cold in her direction. One minute he was smiling at her, looking ready to give her a long-awaited for kiss and the next he was avoiding her and muttering something about needing to go blow something up with Sig. It would either leave Keira hurt or confused.
She wished he'd just make up his mind already.
She looked over her shoulder at Jak, maybe to try to make eye contact which Jak seemed to be in the habit of avoiding as of late, and instead met Gareth's. His eyes narrowed in suspicion and Keira blushed heatedly. For some odd reason she felt as if she had made a sudden betrayal in seeking Jak's eyes. It was as if she and Gareth…
Well, she wasn't so sure.
Jak watched Gareth and Keira look at one another and felt his fingers tighten on his gun. He wanted to rip out those pretty-boy blue eyes and make sure they never looked upon Keira again. But the fact that she had sought out the young man's eyes made him stop. He almost sighed with annoyance. He certainly couldn't expect Keira to look at him. He was… well, he was different. She had called him a 'handsome hero' once after they had first defeated Kor those months ago, but he always contributed to the fact that he was missing the Kid and Keira had wanted him to feel better.
She was kind like that…
Finally they reached the Naughty Ottsel. Daxter, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, hopped off Jak's shoulder and proudly stepped in front of the door leading to the bar.
"Welcome to the Naughty Ottsel." Daxter said, throwing his hands up, "This is my swinging club. Anyone who's anyone comes here… oh and ladies get in free on dance nights." He winked at Sala and Marisa, "Especially the pretty ones."
Keira rolled her eyes at Daxter's antics and said, "Let's go in." She opened the door and stepped in. Everyone else followed suit.
"Hello there, chili pepper." Came the mighty voice of Sig, a former Wastelander of Krew, the one-time owner of Daxter's bar. He turned from his seat at the bar and frowned at the new arrivals, something burning in his eyes, "Who're your new friends?"
"They're not friends." Jak snapped and moved towards Sig, "Where's Samos?"
"Yeah!" Daxter agreed, "Big Green's got some explaining to do."
"Well," Came the wise voice of Samos Hagai the Sage of Green Eco, "Here I am, furball. What is the matter this time?"
Before any words could be uttered, Sala stepped forward, "Do you claim to be the father of this girl?" She pointed Keira, who's eyes narrowed.
Samos's own anger rose and he hopped off his seat at the bar and walked over to Sala, "And who are you that you have the right to ask!?" he demanded.
Sala crossed her arms and said, "I am Sala of Rye, crowned heir to the thrown of the Holy City, direct bloodline of Atalanta the Goddess's High Commander. And you, old man, have been lying to your daughter about her origin."
Samos paled visibly and his glare intensified, "I am Keira's father. Why do you question it?"
Marisa blinked and then said softly to Gareth, "Her name is Keira?" She pressed her hands to her lips and chocked back a laugh, "That's funny."
"I know for a fact," Sala said, "that this girl's father is dead."
Sig walked over to her and loomed down at her with his bulking presence, "Oh? And how do you know that?"
"The girl's mother was the one to tell the city." Sala snapped and then she returned her glare back to Samos, "Now, Sage of Green Eco, explain to me why you keep the truth from her. You are no more this girl's father then I her mother."
Daxter shuddered and thought about what the children of Samos and Sala would look like and said mournfully, "Ohhhh, didn't need to picture that. That image is scorched into my retina. I'll never be clean again."
Jak glared at Sala with a heated anger, "Watch what you say." He snapped.
Keira ignored both of them and turned to her father, "Daddy, tell them that they're mistaken. I'm… I'm your daughter, right? Please… please tell them that they're wrong."
But Samos was shaking his head and saying, "I can't believe it… after all these years… it doesn't seem possible."
Daxter looked at Samos with a raised eyebrow, "Hey, log-in-head, what's a matter? Somethin' you've been keeping from your daughter?"
Samos, instead of snapping back as he normally would've, ignored Daxter and looked at Keira, "My dear… please, sit down. There's… there's things I need to tell you."
"Story time!" Daxter said happily and sat down.
"Shut up." The sage snapped and said sadly, "It began when I first brought the Kid to Sandover Village."
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Oh, Samos had been lying! Bad Samos! Bad! Anywho, the next chapter is basically my take on why Samos is the father of Keira even though he didn't have Keira in Haven City and she looks as old as Jak. And that doesn't mean everything's been explained! Oh no, you have no idea what's coming up! Alright until the next chapter, review! Pretty please?
