Ekobean: Chapter 12 I have to say I am very proud of. I hope this next one is as good and I hope you are happy with it, blah, blah, blah. The usual ranting.

It was obvious that the hall had not been touched for a very long time. Several minutes ago the party had followed Ax's map to the doorway. It was located immediately after the doorway to the Second Test of Manhood, a narrow passage so tight that the company had to walk single-file through it. There were noticeable signs of Ax's recent use. Broken cobwebs and several useless flares were found on the damp floor as they moved on.

The hallway had a musty smell, and a distinct dry feel to the air, even though it became extremely humid as they moved on.

Ashelin was at the very front leading the charge. She was followed closely by Torn who had his twin Red Eco pistols drawn and ready. He was then followed by Sig who had to walk knees-bent and sideways, Keira, Shady, and then the rest of the company.

Like so many tunnels in this maze of a tomb, the hallways seemed to go on forever. There were many unexpected twists and turns, and the worst part was that these obstacles slowed their progress dramatically. Ashelin was beginning to see what took Ax's party so long to radio back. Still it did not explain the loss of radio communication for so long...

The company slowly inched its way forward, not daring to talk for fear of what they may stumble upon. They had learned to expect the unexpected in this tomb, you never knew what would jump out at you next. With every footstep they took a small feeling of upcoming malice grew in their hearts. In their minds something told them that terrible things were about to happen. Yet despite these warnings they pressed on, following their governess.

The hallway opened up unexpectedly into gasp another, larger hallway. This one allowed them to walk side by side, and at the end a small glimmer of faint light could be seen. "Come on," Ashelin ordered. Without another word she began to sprint top speed toward the light. The point of light grew steadily. Ashelin glanced down at her map every few seconds to make sure her eyes weren't deceiving her. No, it was right. That point of light was coming from the burial chamber of Mar.

Ashelin dove excitedly through the doorway with a yell of pure joy. They'd done it, in no time the city would be saved! They would find out how to harness the power of White Eco and wipe out Gol and Maia completely.

Ashelin surveyed her surroundings. She found herself in a domelike room. It was roughly five hundred feet in diameter with a fifty-foot-wide walkway around the entire room. In the center of the room was a large crater, almost like a bowl. In the center was a small sliver of stone ending at the top with a platform. On top of this platform was what was unmistakably a coffin of thick stone. She could see small carvings of epic battles between elves and Metal Heads. Similar, giant carvings littered the entire dome. Metal Heads fighting elves, elves fighting Metal Heads. If Ashelin wasn't so horrified, she would have gasped in wonder.

There was no White Eco. There wasn't any Eco, just the room. There was no sign of Ax or any futile attempt at all of rocks being blasted away. There was just the chamber and nothing more.

"Oh no," Keira muttered, "something's not right here."

"I told you something didn't feel right!" roared Sig.

"I don't see any White Eco," Daxter said impatiently.

"Is something wrong?" asked an overly calm voice that filled the entire room.

Every head moved upward in horror to see both Gol and his sister Maia floating lazily in the air. "Everything seems just fine here."

"No, no, no!" Daxter whimpered, "how the HELL did you two freaks get here?!"

"Surely you haven't already forgotten our underground highway?" Gol snorted, "in case you have, it can take us anywhere in your beloved city, even the old boy's tomb."

"But Ax, he said that they found the White Eco! He said" –

"It's amazing what people will do once they're exposed to a little pain," Maia said casually, forcing several small bolts of purple electricity to dance about her upheld hand.

"What have you done with them?" Ashelin growled.

"Why don't you see for yourself?" Gol motioned upward to the very top of the dome. For the first time the company laid eyes on what was left of Ax's group. They hung in cruel positions from large chains about their legs. Every bit of skin was stripped from their bodies, and blood dripped freely from their fingertips. Their cheekless, lipless mouths hung open limply, and their lidless eyes had long since dried in the dry air of the tomb.

Ashelin spun around and vomited, Torn quickly bent down to comfort her. "You bastards! You fucking sick bastards!" Shady screamed at the twisted sages. In one fluid motion she drew her Red Eco pistol and fired four precise shots at Gol and Maia. The siblings simply raised their hands and deflected the blasts which bent and flew around them.

"Watch your manners, girl," Maia growled.

"How did you find out about our White Eco project?" Keira inquired.

"You should know of all people, daughter of Samos," Gol hissed, "you were there, after all, when the sages summoned the White Eco, and when your Jak absorbed its power. How he damned us to two centuries of hellish pain in the Dark Eco Silos. Though we did gather so much more power there, the pain was unbearable, even as we slept."

"The rest was easy," mused Maia.

"Once your city falls, the rest will fall," Gol cackled, "the power of Dark Eco will spread. We WILL open the Silos, and this land will be changed to our liking. The world will bow to us, the perfect rulers of a perfect world!"

Daxter covered his face with his paw and groaned, "Ugh, don't they ever shut up?"

No one, not even Gol, however, noticed that Maia was watching Gol with a look of extreme annoyance. She slowly began to hover, working her way behind a still ranting Gol.

"So you see, you pathetic creatures," Gol continued, "you will make no difference in our cause. Once you fall, your city falls. Obstacles must be removed, don't you agree, dear sister?" Gol turned smiling to his sister, only to find her hand sticking palm-forward toward his face. A small smile was slowly creeping across Maia's tattooed, pale face. Several charges of Dark Econetic energy were encircling her hand.

"Maia! What are you...?" Gol faltered.

"Doing just what you said, 'dear brother.' Removing the obstacles." Without another word, and without even giving Gol the chance to argue, an enormous surge of powerful energy flew forth straight into Gol. The sage's body twisted and arched in almost impossible positions. He gave a sort of strangled scream that was suddenly cut short when his head was disintegrated on his shoulders. The now headless Gol fell limply to the floor ten feet from the group of shocked elves. His tattered robes fluttered slightly when he landed, and the rock beneath him sizzled as his poisonous blood seeped onto it. Maia crossed her arms and, smiling, gave a satisfied nod.

Every person was speechless. Several people looked from Maia to Gol's decapitated form lying in a crumpled heap ten feet away. "Ok," said Daxter shakily, "why did you kill your brother?"

"Gol never truly understood the purpose of Dark Eco," Maia said angrily, "true his powers increased greatly, as did mine, in those two hundred years inside the Silos. However, his mind obviously slept along with his body. Mine, however, was awake to feel my body twist and burn over the centuries. But I also had two hundred years to think. At first I thought about how a mere boy could have defeated us. But then as my mind grew wiser I began to think about the purpose of Dark Eco. I came to the conclusion that, though raw Dark Eco would destroy every living thing it touched, if Dark Eco were combined with life forms such as the Hora-Quan or myself, it could change them to our liking. Plus, a new power was added to our bodies, the ability to control Dark Eco. This is how we created the underground highways, how we moved them to our liking. And it is also how we controlled your governess."

Ashelin gasped and clutched at the back of her neck. "Why?"

"Oh, that was just an experiment that proved successful. You helped us prove that if Dark Eco was injected in small quantities into the bloodstream it would cause minimal damage, and there was just enough for us to control you. Gol was too pig headed to understand this. If I'd have made this known to him he'd have countered it. He believed that only with raw Dark Eco could the world be changed to our liking. But enough of this!" Maia raised her hands and conjured a small ball of Dark Econetic energy. "Submit willingly and I will add you to my collection of subjects painlessly. But if you refuse, you will meet your doom."

"We will not submit to you that easily!" Ashelin yelled through clenched teeth.

"As I said, your wills are the strongest. Very well, your fate is sealed!" the small ball of energy grew rapidly. It's shape wavered and twisted as it grew larger and larger. It was soon four feet in diameter. "Goodbye."

The last of the Army of Haven city covered their heads. Some screamed, while some just waited, accepting that it was their time to die. Daxter was curled in a tight ball of Tess' shoulder. Seconds before the blast came down a large boll of electricity flew from the doorway behind them. It hit an unsuspecting Maia square in the chest. Maia was sent flying backward, screaming into a wall. The ball of destruction disintegrated in seconds, giving one final zap of energy before disappearing completely.

The shocked citizens slowly turned to see their rescuer. There were two forms standing in the doorway. One was unmistakably Samos. And standing next to him, the barrel of his Peace Maker still smoking, was Jak with the biggest smirk they'd ever seen stretched across his face.

Ekobean: Well, how's that for a plot twist? Ok, the end really is near now, ok? I hope you enjoyed this one. It's not as good as the last one, I don't think, but tell me what you think ok? Thx. R&R.