Dark Jak had won. He'd won the little game. One by one he tested his cunning and skill and murdered all who was on base. He killed them and made them suffer in unique ways. This made his heart flutter in delight and pleasure. It was like a drug to his system, just to see people suffer and so see the pain and sadness and fear in their eyes.
Jak had been greatly influenced by his darker side at this point. He couldn't see any faults in what he was doing and he actually enjoyed the torture he was causing. But now the game had been won. Ashelin, the alpha leader, is dead. Erol had to be dealt with. He had to find the man then get the Baron. He'll take out all the Krimson Guards if he had to. But nothing was going to stop him from achieving his ultimate goal, not even the Metal Head leader.
He had to go to the palace. He knew Erol would be there and he'll make him suffer much more than he made anyone today suffer. He stalked the hallways his black eyes seeing all lights in the spectrum, making him able to see in the dark. The dim hall lights flickered as silence started to deafen his long elvan ears. He smelt the air, it reeked of human flesh. Probably dead human flesh.
Suddenly something whistled through the air. His hyperactive sensitivity picked out the sound and the direction. It was coming at him. With one fluent duck the whistle charged over his head and embed itself against the metallic wall. Dark Jak snarled as he saw what it was.
A metallic dart.
He turned to see people, Alive and heavily armed. They weren't Krimson Guard. The Demon hissed and turned to flee the other way but heavily armed men game from that direction as well. Dark Jak suddenly remained still. There was no where for him to hide or to pounce. The were prepared and armed but he knew their bullets wont hurt him and their armour was easy to penetrate.
They stopped at a distance. Dark Jak looked at them as a threat but remained calm. They had light skyblue armour. No gaps were showing. Large rifles were grasped on tightly by heavily armed gauntlets of each solder. Emotionless masks stared at the creature and none of them moved.
"You can come with us peacefully..." one man stood out of the two groups.
Dark Jak turned and approached him, with a death glare.
"Or you can do this the hard way" the man finished
The creature's trademark smile appeared on his face, "We don't think so. We choose the third option"
The guard snapped his rifle up as the creature leapt into the air. And came down on the armoured man, knocking the weapon from his grasp. He tried to dig his nails into the armour but his nails was refused entry. Confusion was evident as the sound of guns being loaded filled his ears. Dark Jak looked up and saw all the solder's rifles' being pointed at him.
"Fool. There is no other option. You can't hurt me or any of us. You are completely defenceless" the man chuckled from underneath Jak
Dark Jak snarled and looked at the man he was on top of, "No one can hurt us. You think bullets can kill us?"
"Yes if they are made properly" the man said coldly
Puzzlement filled the creature's eyes. The man took his chance.
"Fire!" he commanded
Suddenly all the rifles were discharged but for once the creature was screaming.
Dark Jak felt immense pain. It was familiar yet foreign. It poisoned his very being yet it was soothing. The creature left his intended victim and fell to his knees. He saw his body full of bullet holes. Did the oracle's gift fail him?
No! Impossible!
"Impossible! The bullets...White Eco...." the creature hissed, "AHHHHGGGGGAAAAHHHH"
Inhuman roar filled their ears seeing the creature was in pain. The leader got up off the floor and behind that mask he smirked in victory.
"Your not invincible. Just superhuman and you chose the hard way. Fortunately we want you alive so are you willing to co-operate?"
The creature's eyes flew open, "Where..." it gasped, "Where did you get you weaponry from? White Eco...is rare...non-existent even..."
The leader man chuckled, "As you see we have prepared for our meeting. We perfected it. Not even the Baron knows of this technology"
"Impossible...for humans....to create...it" the creature gasped
"So your willing to co-operate? Or do we have to lodge more bullets into you?" the man asked
The creature looked at the man full of hatred but finally snarled, "Yes"
Some armoured men took the weakened creature by the arms and dragged him down the hall.
-------------
The power of dreams....
What?
The power of dreams...
What are you talking about?
...is with you....
Huh?
Use it wisely...
I don't understand...
Take hints....
more specific please...
Take notes...
Ooookkkaaayyyy.....
People are not what they seem....
Right, I knew that...
Its all in a deceitful balance. One deceives the other....
Really...?
You must be aware of the truth...
Why?
To counter that balance and get out of the web that your are tangled in....
I'm tangled in a web?
For the truth is guarded by lies but it isn't lost.
Oh... who are you?
Heed my warning. Use the necklace. Complete the balance...
Ok... sure. A piece of cake...
----------------
He felt a large pain in his back. It felt like wire sticking in. Wait, wire? Daxter's eyes shot open. He found himself in a cage. Again.
"Oh great. This is just peachy!" Daxter growled in sarcasm
"Daxter, we meet again" a chubby face sneered peering into the cage
"I knew you had a hand with this" Daxter growled, "Still on the same terms?"
"Yes, but this time I have what I wanted" Spran smirked holding up the silver necklace
Daxter gasped, "Hey that's stealing"
"Oh write it in my book of sins" he mocked
Spran put the necklace around his neck and walked over to another cage. Daxter gasped as realization and shock came to him.
The room was earthen but metal lined the floors as stainless steal bench tops and other furniture were out of place. Glass beakers and burners filled the shelves and bench tops. Daxter didn't have to be told that he was in the T.I.D.A.M science lab. In the room was Spran and his goons, just some men in skyblue armour, and another occupant in was the cage.
"Jak?" the little Ottsel chocked
But it wasn't Jak. It was 'Dark Jak'. The purple monster that shrieked and bashed his claws against the cage like a trapped wild animal. Daxter felt relieved and sad. He was so glad his friend was alive after feeling so guilty for his death... he wasn't alone anymore. Daxter was sad in the way that he knew Jak wasn't himself, what ever happened to him, Jak was now more... creature like.
"I want you to observe what you had delayed all this time" Spran smiled
"Ok. Why does this feel like a bad villain movie?" Daxter murmured
Spran turned and approached the cage. Dark Jak stopped as he eyed the leader. Dark Jak had recovered from his wounds after picking out the bullets that contained the poisonous White Eco, one by one, painfully.
"Hello Jak. I'm Spran, the leader of T.I.D.A.M. You remember me, hurting you and keeping you hostage"
Dark Jak snarled, "We will always remember. You will pay!"
Daxter blinked. We? Since when does he use we? He sounds like... uh, oh. He's whacked! He's crazy! Shit!... If he survived the acid then it must of fried his brain. Why did I leave him? I left him again, when he needed me the most. How could I do this to him? How can he forgive me the second time?
"Come on then. I thought your claws can slice through metal. What is stopping you from killing me?" Spran asked
"Nothing stops us"
"Your just scared. Scared to destroy me. If the stories are true then you would be out of here by now" Spran taunted
"I will not attack while you taunt. You try to lure me and I will not follow" Dark Jak's amplified lined voice was in a surprisingly calm but strong tone
Spran grunted, "Then you shall watch while I'll get revenge on you little furry pal here"
Spran stepped aside allowing the demon to see Daxter. Even with the demon's cruel heart he had a place for Daxter as their friendship existed way before any of this happened to them.
Dark Jak's face screwed up in anger, "You will not hurt him"
"Oh just watch me" Spran chuckled
Spran approached Daxter. Daxter looked at the creature. He knew Jak was in there somewhere.
"Don't worry about me Jak" he tried to reassure, "Just don't do what he wants!"
Spran picked up a Krimson Guard rifle, "I don't want you to do anything, Jak, just watch your friend suffer and die" then he turned to Daxter, "I've long awaited the day when I could kill you"
"Well Merry Christmas" Daxter said sarcastically, "Or is it Happy Birthday? Which comes first?
He pointed the rifle at Daxter. The barrel poked through one of the square holes in the cage. Daxter looked up to see his former leader gloating. He suddenly felt scared. Scared to die and leave Jak here. Leave him again. Fail him again.
"Pest control is here" he sniggered
He squeezed the trigger, Daxter braced for what ever came out of the hole but nothing did. Instead there was a purple streak, gun fire and chaos. He knew it was Jak. Jak coming to save his furry butt.
---------------
Dark Jak couldn't watch his old long time friend perishing in front of him. Daxter was the only 'person' who really cared for him. Sure their friendship had been off to a shaky start but they grew so much since then. Gathering all his remaining power he slashed at the metallic bars as anger and rage took him.
He jumped out and slammed right into Spran as he was going to fire. The gunshot was fired at the ceiling and then the skyblue armoured men ran in to help out their boss. Dark Jak was on top of Spran ready to slash and kill the crap out of him. Then the demon saw it. A shiny colourful jewel on the leader's chest.
His anger forgotten as it's beauty was hypnotic to the creature. He felt some what attracted towards it.
"No don't take it" Spran feigned in plea
Dark Jak ignored the leader and pulled necklace away from him. Suddenly he felt the necklace come alive in his closed fist. He stood back. He looked around realizing no one was attacking him. Then his mind realized that he fell for some sort of trap.
Suddenly he felt all the energy was being sucked out of him. He tried to let go but his palm disobeyed. It wouldn't open. He screeched as the demon was loosing its foot hold in his mind and heart.
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
Jak fell to his knees as his transformation was being reversed. The monster he had become was disappearing before all their eyes. His long purple nails shrank back, his horns receded back into his skull as his wild lavender hair turned back into his long yellow fluoro matted hair, his eyes lost its blackness and showed his blue ones and his purple skin returned to his natural pale cream colour. All his dark energy was leaving, going... into this jewel...
---------------------
Daxter saw his friend fall to his knees. The demon was going. He didn't know if it was a good thing or a bad thing. This what Spran had wanted. The though popped in his head as he tore his eyes away to look at the leader. The leader was on his feet smiling victoriously.
It is. It was rumoured to be made from pure Eco ore from some sort of rare Eco.
Jak's palm finally opened revealing the stone fully active. Sparkling, it's swirling colours raging like a mini storm.
But no Eco energies were found in the stone and the myth proven false
Finally it fell from Jak's fingers and clonked heavily onto the metallic floor. Jak eyes rolled back and he fell forward, his body dramatically drained with energy.
"Jak!" Daxter cried in worry
Spran laughed. An evil but victorious laugh. Spran walked over to Jak's sprawled body and picked up the stone that laid next to him.
"Finally. After these long hard years of searching and planing I finally have it" he gloated to no one in particular, "The Dreekle Necklace, is now active"
Shit! Why didn't I see it before! Daxter growled to himself. It was right in front of him all along and he didn't see it! The necklace was dormant! All it needed was a super charge, not from pure Eco, but from someone who can conduct it! Oh Mar! Why didn't I see it before? It makes perfect sense! Jak is a natural Eco conductor, even a White Eco conductor! No wonder Spran wanted the necklace during that trade. He could of forced Jak to change to 'Dark Jak' and conduct Dark Eco into it!
"You evil jerk!" Daxter spat, "You used Jak to get that thing powered up!"
Spran turned and smiled, "Why aren't you a smart rat"
"Bastard!" Daxter growled
Its all in a deceitful balance. One deceives the other....
"So what does your new toy do?" Daxter growled
"Bring all who oppose me to their knees!" Spran smiled as he approached Daxter's cage, "And all my enemies will beg for mercy before me"
"Your an evil idiot. You know that?" Daxter snorted
"You will be first to beg for my mercy" Spran sneered
"Confirming my statement. Your an evil idiot." Daxter folded his arms
"I had enough of your mouth!" Spran growled
The Dreekle Necklace cracked to life, white-yellowish sparks sprang out if it. It frizzled and crackled then before Daxter knew what hit him pain shot through his entire being. Ringing roared in his ears he felt nothing but pain. Much more worse than he ever felt in his entire life. His body went numb to all feeling but this pain. He could be having a seizure, he could be on his hands and knees, he could of been still standing for all he knew. With his eyes screwed shut and all his sensors dulled out he was completely cut of from the world of reality to the world of pain.
His mind threatened to black out but it wouldn't. He was held forever in a state that he would be awake and where his mind wanted to shut down.
-----------------------
Colson was just outside the lab. He took down the stationed guards with a few quick trained movements. Now he put on their skyblue armour and was fully armed for what ever happened. Strange armour, he thought I wonder what Spran had been up to.
He stepped through the doors and saw some other guards with the same outfit as him. His outfit made him look like one of them so he could move freely without being compromised, for the moment.
Behind his lighblue mask he saw Jak lying very still on the floor, in his normal human form. Spran in front of something and the sound of screaming. As he approached closer he saw who was screaming. It was Daxter. His heart leaped and his stomach churned. What ever Spran had been doing had to stop!
He saw what was causing Daxter all that pain. It was the silver necklace he hadn't seen in a long time. The Dreekle Necklace. He knew Spran was trying to activate it but he didn't know how he did it. The sight of Jak gave him the hint that it was probably him. Spran was laughing hysterically shouting insults while the poor creature just screamed until his throat was raw and probably beyond. Colson had to do something.
"Lets hope this armour works" Colson muttered under his breath.
With all his strength he ran up to Spran and bowled the big man over. The power connection was severed and Daxter fell limp in his cage. The other guards in the room sprang to the defence of their leader. Colson got up and saw the guards. Taking advantage of Spran's confusion and dizziness Colson quickly snatched the necklace from Spran's neck.
"I'll be taking back what I stole" Colson spoke, his voice slightly muffled by his mask
The other guards tried to attack him but Colson was too well trained in hand to hand combat. In a series of impressive moves he floored the four guards that were in the room. Spran got up and snarled at the impostor.
"GIVE IT TO ME!" Spran shouted his face turning a angry red
Colson backed away from his former leader.
"GIVE IT TO ME YOU FOOL!" he roared
Colson pulled the necklace on
"No you are the fool, Spran! You thought you could swindle this from me, you thought you could take what I had originally stolen! You take me easily as a fool" Colson pulled of his mask which a smile was painted
"TRAITOR!" Spran fumed and lunged at Colson
Colson moved swiftly out of the way. Spran stopped and turned to the young man. He looked like a angry Yakow ready to charge. The Dreekle Necklace came alive at Colson's command.
---------------
Erol folded his arms but didn't say a thing. The Baron. The infamous Baron Praxis stood in the room gazing intently at his daughter. A nurse came in to check on the machinery.
Praxis stared at his daughter in anger and worry. His daughter was a committed and tough Krimson Guard. Someone who earned their medals without status. As much he was proud of his daughter he knew she was doing things behind his back.
But that didn't matter anymore. As long the Precursor bomb was going a head as planned there would be no more resistance, no more war and he'll be the ultimate and supreme ruler of the city. He saw his daughter sleeping peacefully in a coma. Her wounds patched up and slowly healed with Green Eco. She looked so calm and at rest on that hospital bed. She reminded him so much of his deceased wife.
"How did this happen?" the Baron's voice boomed in the quiet room
"The Eco Freak attacked her" Erol spat when he motioned 'Eco Freak'
Only recently he found out that Jak was still alive. More powerful and dangerous in his monster form. Erol looked at the Baron. His face remained hard and emotionless but Erol knew his leader well and behind that military face was emotions.
The nurse left.
"More like tortured her" Erol corrected, "We found her barely alive"
"I should of disposed of this man ages ago!" Praxis murmured, "He turned out more trouble than it's worth"
"Shall I track him down and kill him?" Erol jumped up all too excitedly
"No" Praxis said abruptly knowing far too well what went on between Jak and Erol
"He maybe yet useful. If by a small chance my bomb doesn't work then Jak could be used to take out the Metal Head leader" Praxis continued in his deep voice
"What!" Erol spewed (not literally!)
"If somehow the bomb operation is compromised and the Metal Head leader leads an assault on the city Jak can be used to kill the Metal Head leader. He'll do it, not because of my command, but to save this city, to save his friends, his family and all other things his puny mind believes. He'll do it because he's the 'hero'" Praxis said in a monotonous voice and in the end snorted
"So I can't destroy him?" Erol growled as if his favourite toy couldn't be given to him
Praxis shrugged, "If he dies before then, then that is his own fate. One less rat in the walls wont make a difference. What ever you do with Jak is none of my concern but your service always comes first. Is that clear?"
Erol nodded, "Yes, sir. Of course"
"Good. Now leave" the Baron ordered
The skinny man got off from his leaning position on the wall and walked out of the room. The Baron just kept watching his daughter, sleeping peacefully on her bed, remembering all the memories before the hard times had come. He'll get even with Jak. One way or another. No one hurts his daughter and get away with it.
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To be continued..........
Yes STILL going! Colson's popped in and Ashelin amazingly survives! Stay tuned for up coming chapters.
Reviews are greatly, enormously appreciated and welcomed. Good or bad its all welcomed. I'm not afraid! wears armour and carries a shield I can take on any harsh review... if this armour doesn't brake.