Daxter jumped awake as he heard a loud bang. He looked around for the source and saw a driver bumped into the back of another vehicle. It was no one he recognized so he relaxed. He rubbed his tired eyes and gave a yawn and a stretch. He absent-mindedly rubbed his neck as he made his way back to his viewpoint of the hideout.
When he realized that he was rubbing he quickly pulled his hand away and growled to himself. He didn't know why these dreams were haunting him but deep down he knew they were memories. Daxter shoved them all away as he saw Torn leaving the Underground hideout. Daxter quickly dashed across the top of the roof to keep in view of Torn. He saw Torn jumping on a Zoomer and starting to join traffic. Daxter had to follow Torn somehow without being noticed.
Vehicles streamed in a line a meter or two away from the building. Daxter had to jump to a vehicle. Jumping from this height to the ground wasn't his idea of being in one piece. Summoning courage Daxter held his breath and leaped across the large deep gap that was between the building and the large Zoomer. Daxter was relieved as his small form landed on the back of a purplish-reddish vehicle. The driver quickly turned to see an unknown creature on the back of his machine.
Daxter fixed himself and saw surprised expression on the driver's face. Daxter gave a grin and a wave. Then the driver lit up.
"Hey I know you! You drove in the Class Two Races!" the man said in recognition
Daxter smiled. He was famous! He could of launch in a brag but right now he needed to catch up with Torn.
"Yeah. Uh can you do a guy a favor?" Daxter asked
"Sure! Anything for the Race Two champion!" The man chirped
Daxter felt flattered again, "Follow that Zoomer!" He cried pointing to the Zoomer that Torn was riding
"Sure get in!" The man nodded
Daxter took the invitation and jumped into the passenger seat of the vehicle. The man broke from the traffic line and slowly but carefully followed Torn. When Torn finally stopped in front of the sewers Daxter told the man to stop meters away. The driver stopped and changed driving heights to park. Daxter hopped down from the vehicle and thanked the man. With a goodbye wave the man flew away again with a story to tell his race addicted mates.
Daxter ran on all fours towards the middle square. He saw Torn enter the Sewers.
Torn wrinkled his nose at the stench of the sewers. He couldn't believe they told him to come here to pick up the 'Spike'; then again they are dirty bastards. Torn waited at the entrance where he was told to wait through the radio. He was careful that he wasn't followed.
He also organized some close colleges, that he worked in the Underground with on a daily basis, to watch his ass. They volunteered to help him out. They known Torn for a long time and the trust he has in these men was great. Still Torn was on full guard.
A man appeared in a dark balaclava with black clothes for him. If you didn't know what to look for you could of easily have lost him with the darkness of the sewers. In a low but deep voice, the mysterious man asked: "What is your name?"
Torn knew the drill to well, "Drifter" Torn felt funny saying his old code name. It gave him cold memories from the time before the guard.
The man nodded and approached Torn. He gave Torn the clear illegal drug.
"Tell your boss I'll be expecting my payment as the same time as usual. If it doesn't turn up then your boss will know what's coming to him" The man said darkly
"Yeah, whatever" Torn shrugged. He couldn't care less what the boss was doing now. Torn figured this guy didn't know he was doing this trade to help a friend and not to benefit an organization.
Suddenly the security door sounded behind him. Torn jerked his head towards the door then back to the man, but the man was gone. The door proceeded to open and out came a squadron of Krimzon Guards.
"Krimzon guards?" Torn muttered in surprise
Torn quickly grabbed his pistol and started to shoot the solders. There were more guards than what Torn could shoot and soon they surrounded him.
"Surrender!" one commanded
Torn sighed in defeat. He was completely surrounded with every rifle trained on him. Torn threw his gun away. The guards took the Illospan and other weaponry away from him and handcuffed the ex-commander. Torn was silent as they entered the lift to rise to the surface. He knew this had to happen of some sorts. He knew the boss of the organization would rather have him dead then trust him with a very valuable package of Illospan. But the Krimzon Guard was the last thing he expected.
As the left the elevator and climbed the ramp Torn saw a Krimzon Guard airship. He also saw inside were his most trusted Underground agents, handcuffed and unarmed in the same way. Torn couldn't believe it, it was planned all in secret. No one could possibly know they were in their hiding spots unless the organization had something to do with this as well.
Torn was shoved in accompanied with some Krimzon Guards. The airship started to take off. Torn looked at his men in disappointment and failure.
"Sorry. I don't know how but it seemed they were waiting for us when we got to the locations" one of them spoke
Torn didn't say anything. He looked to the floor of the airship in deep thought. How could they possibly know? He knew they Krimzon Guard would go after him but they were practically waiting for his Underground back up as well... It just didn't make complete sense.
Daxter saw Torn being shoved into the airship. Daxter knew his suspicions were right. T.I.D.A.M had to be the one to set up this trap for Torn, though Daxter couldn't explain the Krimzon Guards instead of T.I.D.A.M gang members.
Daxter sneaked across the open space and to the airship. It started to lift off the ground. Daxter jumped and grabbed on to the side as the ship rose higher and higher. Daxter climbed his way to the top of the ship and held on as the airship rose higher into the sky.
The past few months were hell for Daxter. His 'trainer' was true to his word. He tried to escape or tried to take the collar off but it always ended in pain. Once he got use to one level of it, it always came more powerful on the next level. When Daxter didn't make enough money for the man it was good as certain that Daxter went without food or water, or even both if Oakan was in a nasty mood.
Despite the oppression, Daxter tried to keep his dignity. Always vowing to kill him under his breath. Daxter was getting nowhere. He hadn't found his friends, people started to stop showing up because every time they did their wallets or purses somehow go 'missing'. Daxter grew depressed and unsociable and didn't even bother to react to Oakan's threats or insults. Because of this Oakan grew angry that his threats weren't taken seriously, so he started to abuse the poor Ottsel. Daxter knew he was loosing spirit as well as hope to find Jak and the others.
As money kept declining Daxter felt he was in the same place where he had started. Alone, hungry and cold but this time someone was doing it to him and forcing him to live this way. One night Daxter was curled up in a corner his 'owner' approached him. Daxter didn't even look at him. Every time he did silent anger would rise up and if it wasn't for this stupid collar he would...
"I decide you're not worth it any longer" he finally announced
Daxter looked at him with an icy stare. This man was really evil.
"But I'm not going to kill you. Your rarity should give me a good price. That's right I'm going to sell you"
Daxter's expression changed to surprise, "I'm... leaving?"
The man sighed, "Yes, to another man that will pay a lot for you. Heh, heh, stupid man"
Daxter tried to hide his excitement by looking away.
"He's coming tomorrow. Be prepared, he maybe more cruel than me" The man warned Daxter as he turned to leave
Daxter smiled. He as going to be free, away from this man, sold or not he'll be away from Oakan. Then the last words of Oakan impacted on him. What if the man was crueller than Oakan? He'll suffer more deeply than he is now.
"Thanks for puncturing my bubble" Daxter growled to Oakan even he was out of earshot
Daxter didn't realize he fell asleep until he actually woke up. Sun was in his eyes. He rubbed them and gave a yawn. Oakan appeared in front of him and picked him up to put him in a cage. Daxter was carried outside the tent. That's when Daxter saw the man.
The man, or should he say the boy, reminded him of Jak when he last saw him. He had a slender but a good fit figure with black dreaded hair that went to his shoulders, dark brown eyes, red vest with black shirt and pants and dark brown shoes.
"Here's the runt. The money?" Oakan demanded
The young man almost look disgusted at the older man but handed over the cash. Oakan shoved the cage at the boy and chucked the control for the electro-collar at him. Oakan turned and disappeared in the tent. Seeing there was no more business the young man ran off into the Slums.
"Ah, excuse me" Daxter called, "Uh, Hello?"
The boy turned his head at the rodent in the cage that was neatly tucked under his arm.
"If you don't mind... I'd like to get out of here!" Daxter demanded
"I know but just wait. I have to reach the Hideout first" the young man said
"Hideout?" Daxter asked confused
"You'll see" the boy chirped as he made his way through the city streets
Daxter got a sense that this guy might be different to Oakan…friendlier at least. Maybe he could convince him to take the black collar off his neck. After a while the boy came to a plain door. He turned the handle and went inside. It was empty and bare. Only cobwebs and dust littered the room.
"This is it? This is the Hideout?" Daxter asked in surprise, "I guess you guys don't spring clean"
The young man laughed, "No silly, this is the Hideout"
He put the cage on the floor and went over to the middle and pulled on a handle. A trap door immediately yielded to the boy's strength and an opening appeared.
"Did I forget to mention I am a touch claustrophobic?" Daxter said nervously
The young man laughed, "Let go". He grabbed Daxter and climbed down the entrance. He pulled the door closed but it wasn't dark. Small fairy lights were hung on the walls of the tunnel, guiding the boy safely through. It seemed to be a tunnel network under the city. Who dug them or why they're here was a mystery. Despite there were twists and turns everywhere the youth managed to make his way to a green door. He turned the knob and entered.
Daxter gasped as he saw that it was a bedroom. A small table stood in the middle. The young man placed the cage on the table and unlocked the cage door. Daxter came out and stretched.
"About time you let me out! I was starting to get a cramp!" Daxter complained
"How about getting that thing off you?" the boy offered
Daxter looked at the boy in surprise, "You didn't buy me to use me did you?"
"No. I keep seeing you performing in the street. I saw how the man treated you and well... I feel sorry for you. I had money saved for my sick mother but she died a month ago and I had this money saved up for medicine..." The boy trailed
"Gee, uh, I'm sorry" Daxter tried to comfort him feeling awkward
The youth gave a smile, "It's Ok. I'm glad her suffering is over. I didn't want to spend the money on myself... it wouldn't feel right and, well, you needed it more than me"
Daxter felt touched as well as lucky. The boy grabbed the control for the collar and threw it to the ground. Electronic pieces spilled everywhere as static crackled in it's features. Daxter felt the boy was behind him. With some movement of the collar Daxter heard a tiny click and the collar practically fell from his thin neck. Daxter smiled. The biggest grin he had in a long time.
"There ya go" he chirped, "Free as a Flut flut bird... well your not a bird your a... what are you?"
"I'm an Ottsel. The name's Daxter" Daxter introduced himself
"My name is Colson, but my code name is Cyri" the youth introduced himself
"Code name?" Daxter asked puzzled
"Yeah. It's the name your given when joining this organization so outsiders don't know your real name" the boy explained
"Organization? What organization?" Daxter asked
"It's called T.I.D.A.M" Colson replied
The airship landed on a Caspad on top of the fortress. The prisoners were escorted out and into the fortress. Daxter cautiously followed them using most of the building structure to his advantage. He followed to them to the same room where he rescued Jak and later the Underground agents from. Daxter shivered slightly at the sight of the chair.
There also in the room, near the deactivated warp gate, was the notorious Erol, as smug and arrogant as ever. A few guards were stationed around him as the guards from the airship approached. Erol's face was full of utter glee and victory as the old enemy was brought before him.
"Torn, nice of you to come" Erol smirked
Torn made an angry face at him, "I'd knew this had something to do with you. I could smell and recognise your foul stench anywhere!"
Erol laughed, "I pulled a few strings to get you here. But I have a new enemy to get rid of"
Torn didn't say anything so Erol continued, "I have made a deal with the leader of T.I.D.A.M. He wants you dead but he has Jak. So we agreed that you die and I 'ignore' his operations, he'll give Jak to me"
"What?" Torn growled
"The Baron wants Jak dead. He has heightened the hopes of people and made waves with your puny Resistance. So he'll be back in my possession and be 'punished' for his disobedience and treason"
This time Daxter growled. Though lucky he was out of earshot or they would have found out his hiding place. Daxter would do anything to prevent Jak being in the hands of Erol or the Baron again, whatever the cost.
"You and your Underground scum are sentenced to torture for Treason and you, Torn, will be executed by being liquidized" Erol smiled at this
"What?" Torn exclaimed Daxter never seen such pure horror on the man's tattooed face
While Torn was in the guard he'd seen people sentenced to death this way. It may sound dumb but when he witnessed execution it made him vomit. The liquid was made up of different kinds of strong acids and Dark Eco liquid extracts, strangely enough it also contained Green Eco. It was held in a thick soluble Precursor metal tank. The tank was salvaged from the Mountain Temple and since Precursor metal is almost indestructible and rumoured it can hold large amounts of pure Dark Eco, which no man made metal could do, it was the best choice to use.
People who are sentenced to death this way are dropped from above into the liquid. Torn was a young cadet at the time when he had to see it. He saw a man being dropped in. Soon as he entered the light purple mixture he screamed. Torn saw the man's skin start to boil and bubble as the liquid hissed and sizzled. His pale skin when raw red and covered with boils and burns. The scream still is ringing clearly in his ears.
The idea of Liquidation was the victims died slowly. While the acids fried the victim and Dark Eco brought immense pain the Green Eco in the concentrate will try to heal the victim. Sometimes the victims would be in there for weeks on end screaming from the sheer pain of the acids. Torn had once dared to look at one at that stage and the man as practically a burnt skeleton with singed flesh and eyeballs gone. Some how he was still alive, some how he still had a voice, a heart and a mind. Then again maybe it was the Green Eco's doing to try and keep those vitals alive.
That memory had scared Torn for the rest of his life.
"Take them away!" Erol commanded with a wave of his hand
The guards obeyed and they disappeared deeper into the fortress. Daxter followed and noted what cell number each one was kept in. Being careful to keep out of sight. Since Jak's escape guards have been stationed more often, which presented Daxter a more difficult task in getting them out.
"I guess I have to save go Torn's ass" Daxter muttered to himself, "He better thank me for this when it's over"
Oh no! Quick go to chapter 4!
Tell me how I am going! I'd appreciate it. Review!