Title: Speed: Haven City Style
Chapter: 2/?
Disclaimer: I do not own Jak II in anyway… nor do I own the movie Speed.
Keywords: Jak, Keira, bus, highway chase
Couples: hinting Daxter/Tess
Chapter Rating: PG-13 for language and some naked Jak drools
Chapter Genre: Action/Humor/slight Romance
Teaser: see chapter one
Feedback: the more the merrier!
Timeline: think late 90's Haven City
Author's Notes: Ack! I know, I know, VERY late update. Sorry 'bout that. I've been having hell for the last few weeks. School and my personally life decided to give me a big pile of shit to deal with so I haven't been able to think of updating any of my stories until today. To show my extreme sorrow for the late update the chapter is EXTRA long and there is a special sneak preview to Jak IV: The Abomination at the bottom!
Side notes: it's not easy trying to convert a bus into a zoomer, okay? So let's just pretend when I say 'car' (by accident) I mean zoomer? Got it?
FINALLY!
Last time on Speed: HavenCity Style…
Jak ran after him and just as he reached the door an explosion rocked the room. Jak was thrown backwards against the wall, his limbs spanned out. He groaned as he slid to the floor. Moaning, he looked over at Daxter.
"You shot me!" Was the last thing Jak remembered hearing before he slid into unconsciousness.
This time on Speed: HavenCity Style…
Chapter Two- 2525An auditorium was filled with many people, most with happy faces. The SWAT members and the hostages of the elevator sat in front of the stage, clapping happily at the two men standing on the stage.
It was City Hall Medal Ceremony Day.
The Mayor of Haven City finished up his speech with a proud look on his ruddy face, "… the dedication and bravery that make Haven City's finest truly her finest. Fifteen citizens owe their lives to the team and particularly two officers that we are here to honor today… Thanks to them the only life taken by the terrorist bomber was his own."
Off to the side of the stage stood Jak and Daxter, flanked out in full Krimzon Guard uniforms (A/N: in my fic, their uniforms are like regular police uniforms). Their eyes were trained on the front, but Daxter fumed quietly.
"You shot me…" Daxter said in a soft, angry voice, "I can't believe it… they're giving you a medal for shooting me, you little prick…"
Jak smiled softly, amused by Daxter's tantrum, he had been like this ever since they had awoken in the hospital together a few weeks ago, "Dax, you told me to."
"You didn't have to do it so well." Daxter pointed out.
"Officer Daxter Temple." The Mayor said and Daxter stepped forward stiffly. He faced the crowd for a moment before turning on his heel and walking over to the Mayor. His cane clicked against the carpeted stage. He tried not to limb, but he leg wound made it very hard not to. The Mayor smiled and placed a medal on Daxter's shirt.
Then Jak's own name was called and he stepped forward to accept it.
Meanwhile, in a small garage, there was a TV watching the event. Around it was four other TVs, all on the same channel. They looked cheap and old. They were all situated on a desk that had magnifying glasses and wires and white putty. The TVs zoomed in on Jak's face as he moved to accept his medal.
And sitting in a chair in front of the desk was none other then Howard Praxis, the terrorist bomber. He clapped loudly as the medal was pinned to Jak's shirt. Outside his window in his garage, twilight began to settle around the suburban area.
Later that night, at the local bar the HepHog, all the cops on the SWAT team clustered around Samos McMahon as he held up his cherry glass in a sign of toast. Jak and Daxter sat on a stool right besides him, grinning like fools.
"Okay. Okay, here's to Daxter! For his quick thinking, grace under pressure, and brave and selfless act." Samos said, raising his glass and Daxter took a dip swing of his own beer bottle to show everyone he agreed with Samos.
Many 'here-heres' filled the room.
"And to Jak… for shooting Daxter," Jak's face lit up in surprise before he and everyone else laughed, "which God knows we've all wanted to do for a VERY long time."
Samos raised his hands to quiet the laughs that still rippled through the air, "No, seriously. Here what it is: To the guys, for doing your job and not getting dead. Mazeltov." Everyone repeated the word and drank. Samos sat down and everyone turned to Jak.
"Speech! Jak, a toast! Come on!" The SWAT members cried.
Jak shook his head. He really didn't want to give a speech. Talking like some big leader really wasn't his idea of fun. He'd rather just let Samos give the speeches, hang out with his friends, and maybe find a woman to warm his bed. But seeing that the SWAT team was going to bother him until he did, Jak stood.
"Um, okay. I'd like to thank all the little people—" He broke off as many boos filled the air. He laughed lightly and went on, "—I'm fuzzy on the names, but I know you're all very tiny. Daxter, you're a god… Uh, I dunno… here's to a small pension and a cheap gold watch." Everyone drank to that.
As the night dragged on, there were many more laughs and jokes, but people began to leave. The few that were left—Jak and Daxter included—were mostly slouched. The heavy smell of liquor and cigarettes filled the room.
Samos and Jak sat at the bar, talking in low voices so as not to disturb them. The bar owner, Krew, hovered around them in all his fatness, but they ignored him. Krew was always making sure no one was keeping him from his money.
The barmaid, Sandy, stepped towards them with an easy smile, "Here you go. Thirty fifth round is on the house. Just don't tell Krew." She took the hose and filled their small cups with the strong liquor.
Jak didn't take notice of Sandy at first, but said to Samos, "Nobody wanted me to be a cop. My dad said if I wanted to prove myself as a man I should sell tires like him." He glanced over at Sandy and pointed to his drink, "His is bigger then mine."
Jak frowned into his drink, thinking about his father. All of his family thought he was just trying to prove that he was a man by joining the Krimzon SWAT. No one seemed to get that he had really wanted to be part of this team.
Further off, Daxter and a female cop, Ashlin, lounged on the seats in the back of the room. Daxter was completely drunk, it showed in his glazy eyes, and he pawed lightly at Ashlin.
"Come here." Daxter said in a slurred voice, "Come on. Come on and sit on my lap. Sit on my lap and do a dance." Ashlin shook her head and swatted at his hands good naturedly.
"Piss of, Daxter." Ashlin said in a friendly tone, "You're married."
Daxter blinked in confusion, "I am?"
Samos was offering Jak some comfort, "That's what this job is. It's those moments when everything compresses and it's just you and him. That moment. Other jobs are just typing. And that's what real people don't understand about cops."
"That we're psychotic?" Jak joked easily. Samos could always make him feel better about the fact he made his family worry.
"Yes." Samos agreed, "Well put. That was your problem with what's-her-name. Wait, what was her name? You remember?"
"Debbie."
"Debbie?" Samos frowned and thought back to a few months ago, "No, Donna!"
"Oh right." Jak said with disinterest.
Daxter pulled a picture out of his wallet. It was the picture of a beautiful, smiling woman with flowing blonde hair and baby blue eyes. He smiled softly and touched her two-dimensional face.
"This is my wife?" He asked in disbelief. In his drunken state he couldn't remember her name. What was it? Tiss? Trish? Tess? Yes, Tess, "She's gorgeous! I'm gonna go home. I'm gonna get some."
Daxter stood and waved off Ashlin's hands as she moved to help him. He grabbed his cane and staggered over to Jak. He collapsed on Jak's shoulder and grinned over at him.
"Jaaaaaaaaak!" Daxter cried.
Jak grinned, "Daaaaaaaaaaxter!" He pointed to Daxter's face as Samos laughed, "Druuuuuuuuuunk!"
As Samos left for the bathroom, Daxter said, "You know, we're the two luckiest guys in the world. Got the bad guys and didn't lose any civilians."
"We're good." Jak agreed.
Daxter shook his head, "No, we were lucky. Understand it, Jak. We were dealing with a total psycho; he could've blown us up at any time. I got a bullet in me—a few marks lower and they're giving the medal to my wife."
"Daxter, man, we won. We got him." Jak said, feeling awkward at Daxter's comment. Normally, he was the one who was serious and Daxter was the one who made the jokes.
"Do you even listen?" Daxter asked angrily, mostly from the liquor in his system, "I'm not gonna be backing up for a long while so you gotta start thinking. Guts'll get you so far then they'll get you killed. Luck runs out, Jak. Sooner or later."
As Daxter's words sank in, he pushed himself away from the door. Slowly, he began to stagger towards the door. Jak jumped up from his seat and grabbed Daxter's arm, helping him stay upright.
As
Jak and Daxter walk away, Daxter said proudly to his friend, "I'm gonna go home
and have some sex."
"Dax,
you're gonna go home and throw up." Jak said with a deep laugh and Daxter
shrugged without any emotion.
"Yeah, well, that'll be fun, too." He told his friend.
That morning, Jak groaned and rolled over in his large bed in his airy loft. It had a neat, slightly industrial look to it. The only objects in his bedroom was a picture of a water zoomer—one he hoped to own—as well as complete entertainment center and sports equipment neatly lining the wall.
His eyes opened slowly and he found himself lying on top of his sheets, sweating from the heat of a Haven City summer. He had barely managed to drag on his boxers and tee shirt before falling asleep on his bed. He knew that if he looked in a mirror, he'd look worse for wear so he didn't.
By his bed, his large plasma screen TV was still on from when he turned in on last night. Jak sat up and looked over at the show playing, some kind of soap opera.
A man was saying, "Katie… love me, Katie. Bryant will never respect you like I do," before Jak turned him off.
He winced from the hangover that pounded in his head. He reached over to his nightstand and popped the pills into his mouth to fight the hangover. He chewed them like candy and lay back down in bed.
His house seemed so empty. His mom didn't visit him anymore, ever since he told her he wasn't quitting the Krimzon SWAT. Daxter said he needed a woman—and of course was always happy to point out he was married to the very hot Tess—and sometimes Jak agreed. It always felt nice to wake up next to a warm, soft feminine body, but what one would be willing to deal with his job? Debbie… er, Donna… hadn't been able to.
He threw himself from bed and pulled off his sweaty pjs from his rock-hard body and reached for his running clothes propped against his dresser. He pulled on his running socks followed by his shoes and moved from his loft.
He ran and ran and ran, trying to forget how lonely he was. His feet slapped against the sun baked street of Haven City and the wind rustled his bed-torn hair. He closed his eyes and let his feet take control. He didn't want to think about anything now. Everything would lead to a woman. Even if he thought about Daxter, who was probably waking up besides Tess right now.
He ran faster.
Jak's jeep zoomer pulled up in front of the café. He slammed his door, looking better then he had earlier that morning, and stepped into the air-conditioned building. The man behind the counter and the man buying his coffee smiled at him as he entered. He smiled back and stepped forward.
"Hey, Jak," The man, who's name tag read 'Bob', said, "You like a side order of harsh." He wore thick, brown gloves and a bus driver's uniform.
Jak shook his head and ordered his coffee, "Thanks, Bob."
Vince, the current runner of the counter, poured Jak his coffee while saying, "The boy was up partying all night." He handed Jak's his coffee casually.
Jak and Bob waved to Vince and exited the building. Jak head over to his jeep-zoomer and Bob headed over to his bus-zoomer.
"Wild party, huh?" Bob said.
"I don't remember that well. It's all really fuzzy." Jak admitted with an easy smile, "But it couldn't have been that great; I woke up alone."
"Yeah, well last time I partied like that I woke up married." Bob said and earned a laugh from Jak, "See ya, Jak."
"Bye, Bob." Jak said as they went their separate ways. Jak placed his coffee on the roof of his zoomer-jeep as Bob's bus drove away. He dug in his pants pocket for his keys.
Suddenly he gasped as a loud explosion rocked the area. He wheeled around to watch as Bob's bus went up in flames.
Jak broke into a break-neck speed for the bus. He came up quick along its side and looked at its incarnated insides. He couldn't see Bob anywhere. He tried to get closer to the bus, but the intensity of the flames kept him from moving in.
People began to circle around him, some screaming for the police. Then something knew filled his conscious.
The ringing of a phone…
He turned and saw that further off a payphone was ringing… ringing. In an almost dreamlike trance he stepped towards the phone and picked it up off the receiver.
"What do you think, Jak?" Said the voice of the man from the elevator incident, "If you find enough of the driver's teeth, think they'll give you another medal?"
In pure shock, Jak almost dropped the phone. He managed to catch it and whispered in horror, "Jesus…"
Howard Praxis grinned at Jak from his spot in his zoomer just a few feet away, "Twenty three second delay on the dead man's stick. I'm in the air duct when it blows. Did you think I wouldn't have been prepared?" His voice rose slightly in raw anger, "I spent two years setting up my elevator job. Two years. I invested myself in it. You couldn't understand the commitment I have. A child, Jak, you're a child. You ruin a man's life's work, and then you think you can walk away? You got blinders on to the world. But I got your attention. Didn't I, Jak?"
Jak was breathing hard, as if he had just ran ten miles, and said in low voice, "Why didn't you come after me?"
There was a chuckle on the other line, "Now you're getting a swelled head. This is about my money, my due money, which I will get. Three point seven million dollars. That what my original sum, plus interest compound and quarterly and expenses. None of this had to happen, Jak. I hope you realize that. That bus driver could've gone home to his wife and children tonight. How long to you think it'll be before they start worrying about him? He's so late coming home…"
Jak bared his teeth in a fierce snarl and banged his hand against the hood of the payphone until it bled, "When I find you, man, I'm going to kill you all over."
Praxis wanted to chuckle to that, but instead said, "Pop quiz, hot shot. There's a bomb on a bus. Once that bus hits fifty miles an hour the bomb is armed. If the bus drops below fifty it blows up. What do you do?"
Jak didn't answer as a look of confusion crossed his face. He tried to take it all in but his head rejected the idea.
"What do you do?" Said the other line.
Finally, Jak nodded. It was sign that he accepted the challenge. He swung his hand in the air to shake off the pain he had given it.
"I'd want to know what bus it was." Jak muttered, looking around at the burning bus that had once held a good man.
"You think I'm going to tell you that?" The voice on the other line asked with a small chuckle.
"Yes." Was the unhesitant answer.
Praxis smiled and leaned back in his seat, "Very good." His smile vanished as he became serious, "Now here are the rules, Jak; we have to do this right. If you take any passengers off, I will detonate it. If I don't get my money by eleven a.m., I will detonate it. There is a time limit."
Jak growled and glanced down at his watch. 8:05. Not even three goddamn hours.
"We can't put all that money together in—"
Praxis caught him off, "Focus, Jak! Your concern is the bus. Don't try to call, you'll find their radio is down. It's Number 2525, running downtown from Venice. It's at the corner of Lincoln and Pico. Should be heading onto the freeway right about…"
But Jak was no longer listening to Praxis. He was already running, letting the phone swing on its rope.
"…now." Praxis's voice finished.
The engine of Jak's jeep-zoomer roared to life as he zipped away, his coffee splattering against the gravel of the road.
"STOP!" A young feminine voice cut through the air as she ran after the bus marked 2525.
She a young pretty twentysomething woman. She had short green/blue hair and emerald eyes. She wore a flower print dress with a black belt around it. Underneath it was a pale pink tanktop. Wrapped around her waist with the belt was her Haven University sweatshirt. In her hand she carried a cup of coffee.
She used all her strength to pull upside the bus and yell at the bus driver, who laughed in pleasure. She begged, demanded, smiled, prayed to try to get him to stop. Finally the bus halted after a few minutes of playing tag with the young woman.
Keira Hagai gasped for breath as she pulled herself up the steps of the bus. She panted and smiled over at the bus driver named Sam.
"This look like a stop to you?" Sam demanded with a good natured smile on his dark face.
Keira grinned and placed her change in the box while saying, "You are a saint. You are a good, kind man and one day people will sing songs about you."
"Hey, hey!" Sam called as Keira moved to take her seat, "I don want no gum on my seat like last time, Keira!"
Keira grinned, showing Sam her teeth which had a wad of white gun between them. She then returned to moving to her seat as Sam chuckled.
As she moved down the aisle, she grinned over at burly, dark-skinned man, "Hey, Sig." She said. Sig waved back with a wide smile.
"Hey, Keira." He answered and shifted his weight, looking uncomfortable in all his Wastelander gear. Keira gave a thankful prayer that she hadn't chosen to join the Wastelanders… or the Krimzon Guard for that matter.
She plopped into her seat in front of a man with all sorts of books in his hands as well as a camera. It obvious to everyone on the bus that he was a tourist.
"First time in Haven City." He said, thinking that Keira was perhaps the single most beautiful women he had ever seen.
"No, I live here." Keira muttered, rolling her eyes at her misfortune of setting down next to this tourist.
"No, I mean mine. Well, that's just funny—you heard me wrong. I'm sightseeing. I hate to use the word 'tourist' but it's not like I can hide it!" He raised his hands filled with maps and cameras, "I'm Doug Stephens."
Keira tried to smile, but only managed a grimace, "Ah… Keira." She tried to subtly show him she wasn't interested by being silent, but Stephens didn't get it.
"You know it took me three hours just to get here from the airport. I got so lost. Haven City is one large place! But you live here, you probably don't notice. Me, I'm a yokel! There I said it!" Stephens said with a grin.
Meanwhile, Keira had removed her gum from her mouth and placed it on her seat. She gave a small scream and said, "Oh! There's gum on my seat! Oh, eww!" She raised her thumb, which was covered in her gum. She thrust it in his face and said as if teaching him the word, "Gum!"
She turned and moved to the seat across from her. She smiled at the middle-aged woman, Helen, who sat there and she smiled back. Keira took her seat and slowly drank from her silicon cup.
She then looked back over at Helen and said, "Morning."
Helen smiled softly and said in an equally soft tone, "You're lucky, you know. Sam wouldn't stop for anyone. He really likes you."
Keira
shrugged calmly and said, "Yeah, well if he'd be late once in a while then I
wouldn't have to catch up with him, would I? Hear that Sam!?"
"I hear ya!" Sam answered.
Helen chuckled and shook her head, "Not our Sam."
Frustration seemed to be the order of the day for Jak as he weaved in and out of traffic. He honked his horn, cursed, yelled, and did anything to get closer and closer to the bus cars ahead of him.
"MOVE!" Jak shouted, "Goddamnit! Move, you pieces of shit!"
Jak cursed another foul word as he barely managed to avoid an old Lincoln zoomer. He jerked left and climbed up a ramp, almost sideswiping a new model Black XJ-12 Jaguar zoomer. He could hear the driver screaming at him, but he didn't even bother to see what kind of damage he had done.
He was getting to that bus.
The bus was now running forty-five miles per hour.
On the bus, a few passengers were talking and some were reading. It was a day like every other day. Keira glanced at her watch and then addressed Helen.
"Oh, I just couldn't handle driving on the freeway anymore." Helen said, caressing the necklace around her neck, "I would just get so tense. This way I could relax all the way to work."
Keira sighed and thought about her beautiful, yellow jeep Zoomer. What she wouldn't give to have it. She hated this bus, despite the fact that she enjoyed the people on it. She loved the feeling of being free, even if you were in a complete standstill with the traffic on the freeway.
"Well, I love my zoomer. I miss my zoomer." Keira said, looking out the window. A few of the younger drivers waved to her and she wanted to glare at them, but she didn't bother. She had learned to ignore the attractions of most men. She had sworn to herself not to get to deeply involved until she was safely on her own two feet.
But she couldn't ignore the sense of loneliness that also plagued her. She didn't think it was just because she needed a boyfriend, but because she was an orphan. She had been raised in an orphanage since she was two and had learned the hard way of life. She was barely managing to get put herself through collage.
She wanted so much more out of her life, but she was stuck until she had her degree. No one took a pretty, young girl like herself seriously unless she had something to show her worth.
"Your zoomer's in the shop?" Helen asked.
Keira grinned sheepishly and answered, "Nnnhyyeah."
Helen looked out the window as well and asked in a calm voice, "You work downtown?"
"Uh-huh." Keira turned and said Helen's expectant glace added, "Oh, I'm a zoomer mechanic. You know, an engineer?"
"Where do you work?" Helen asked. She knew this young woman had to be smart to work anywhere as a zoomer mechanic. It was a tough, demanding job.
"The Race Stadium." Keira answered and Helen blinked. They both knew that the Race Stadium was for zoomer racers. No mechanic worked there, they worked at a garage. She winced at Helen's sympathetic look, "I just race until I can get my degree. After that, I'm through racing! Well… as a job anyway. Racing kinda a habit, ya know?"
Sam chucked at Keira's words and looked down at his speedometer. They were almost at fifty miles per hour. But he noticed the traffic jam ahead and removed his foot from the pedal so the bus slowed down. The passengers onboard groaned with distaste.
Keira glared at the cars and called to Sam, "Sam! Can't you just go over these cars?" She asked.
Jak grinned as the bus slowed down. Everything was okay for now. There nothing to worry about.
A few miles ahead of him, there seemed to be an accident and all lanes but one were closed. Every zoomer was filtering into the one lane and so was bus 2525. It was about fifty feet away from him.
Jak parked his zoomer and pushed open the door. He had to get there fast since the bus was almost past the choke point. After that it would pick up speed. He rushed over to the bus and came up almost its side just as it was about to pass the accident.
He bangs his fist on the glass doors of the bus and shouted, "Open up!" He panted with the extortion it took to keep up with the bus, "Open up!"
A woman named Mrs. Kamino looked at Jak, "He really wants to get on this bus." She sounded worried and a little panicked because Jak looked so fierce.
Keira looked at him and felt something warm tickle her stomach. Well, there was a fine looking man. She didn't often give men much attention but this one was in your-face sexy. Then Mrs. Kamino's words reached her.
"Can you blame him?" She asked dryly.
"Get off the doors, man!" Sam called, "Wait for the next one!"
"I'm Krimzon Guard! Open up!" Jak could tell from the bus driver's confused look that he couldn't hear him so he dug for his badge. He dragged it from his pocket, but it was bumped by a car in the right lane and flew from his hand.
Helen looked at Jak as he gave a vicious curse and said in a small voice, "Maybe you should let him on, Sam."
Keira looked at the young man outside her window. She felt a sense of dread well in her stomach. What was on this bus that he wanted to bad?
As Jak stopped to retrieve his badge, Sam speeded up and pulled away from him. In the back of the bus a young man, Erol, looked out the window with a weary look on his face. His fingers fidgeted nervously.
"DAMNIT!" Jak cried as he raced after the bus once more, but the bus didn't slow down and he knew that at the speed it was going he didn't stand a chance of catching it. Still, he ran after. He ran so fast he managed to grab its bumper but it slipped from his grasp within seconds. Panting, Jak doubled over and drew in ragged breaths.
He glanced back at his zoomer and saw that it was half-a-mile back and in deep traffic. It wasn't going to help. Instead, he jumped into the oncoming traffic and held his hands up and out.
"STOP!" He shouted.
A sleek, black XJ-12 Jaguar convertible zoomer screeched to a halt and the driver looked at him in shock, "What the fuck!?"
As the Jaguar zoomer owner cursed at Jak, he came up on the driver's side and flashed the owner his badge. He gave the man a pissed off look.
"Krimzon Guard. Get out of the car." Jak commanded in a deep voice.
"Oh Jesus, not again." The owner said, sounding just as pissed as Jak, "Look, this is my car! I own this car! It is not stolen!"
Jak,
having not patience for this, dragged his gun from its holster hooked on the
back of his jeans and pointed it at the head of zoomer's
owner, "It is now." He yanked open the door and snapped, "Move over."
The man moved without a
second's hesitation, not wanting to get a bullet in his face. Jak holstered his
gun and hopped inside the car.
"You scratch this puppy and we're gonna have words." The owner warned as Jak speed off. He kept his eyes on the bus, knowing that by now it had to be going at least forty five miles.
He kept chasing the bus, he wove in and out of traffic. He honked his horn at other zoomers and flashed the Jaguar's lights. The owner of the zoomer clutched the dashboard until his knuckles turned white.
He caught up the bus as fast as the zoomer would allow and pulled up on its side again. Jak honked the horn to get the driver's attention. And it worked.
Sam looked out the door and did a double-take. It was the same guy that had tried to get on earlier! He couldn't make out the words, but the young man was yelling something to him.
Sig was leaning against and looking at Jak with a frown, "Man sure has a hard-on for this bus." He muttered.
Erol, meanwhile, stood from his seat and moved all the way to the back where he slumped against the seat. He frowned deeply and his leg bounced with nerves.
Jak tried to raise his voice of the roar of the engine, "I'm a cop!"
Sam's eyes narrowed with suspicion but he opened his window, "What!?" He called and Jak reached for his badge.
"Krimzon Guard. There's a bomb on your bus!" Jak shouted as he worked to keep the Jaguar zoomer and the bus zoomer even.
Seeing the Sam still couldn't hear, the zoomer owner leaned over the side of his side since he was closer and shouted, "There's a—what!?" He looked at Jak in horror, "Fuck!"
"I can't hear you!" Sam shouted and Jak repeated his words. Sam shook his head again, telling Jak he still didn't hear him.
Jak bit his lip in anger and then saw sheet music in the backseat of the car, "Get that, will ya? I need something to write on."
The owner hesitated a moment before reaching for the sheet music. From the side of his door, he withdrew a black maker.
"I want you to write," Jak commanded, "in big black letters. Write 'bomb on bus'. Got it, man? I'm counting on you."
"Are you serious!?" The owner demanded but at Jak's glare he bent down and started to write. Jak accelerated sharply and pulled in front of the bus.
Keira walked to the front of the bus and she and Sam watched Jak in confusion. What was he doing? They didn't even notice that the speedometer had reached forty nine miles per hour. The bus gave a sudden jerk and Keira fell to the floor.
The owner of the zoomer turned and knelt up in his seat. He held up the note but the wind ripped it from his hand. The paper landed on the windshield of the bus and Sam's eyes widened as he read…
BOMB ON BUS.
The sign flew away before anyone else saw it. A cold sweat began to trial down his face. The speedometer reached fifty with a click, but no one noticed.
Underneath the bus a mass of white putty slabs were wired to a black box. On the black box, a red light flickered on so the machine knew that the bomb was activated. More bombs activated under the doors of the bus.
Sam gasped once and he removed his foot from the pedal.
55m/h, 54, 53…
Jak watched as his own speedometer began to deplete and knew that the bus was slowing down. He honked his horn in warning, "NO!" Sam gave him a confused look from the window of the bus and it continued to slow down. Jak gave him a motion to speed up, "SPEED UP!"
Jak sighed with relief when the bus stopped it deceleration.
"FIFTY!" Jak shouted as loud as he could, "STAY ABOVE FIFTY!" He nodded to Sam as the bus picked up speed. He looked over at the owner of the zoomer as he dragged out a cell phone, "470-8000, ask for Detective Daxter Temple."
The owner nodded and pressed the numbers as rapidly as he could. He all but screamed in the phone, "Detective Daxter Temple! It's urgent!" He listened a moment before passing the phone to Jak.
"Daxter…" Jak said into the phone.
Daxter leaned sleepily against his desk. He wished he had stayed in bed like Tess had asked. She had worried about his headache, the good wife she was. But he had to do this.
Ashlin was chatting to another officer in the room next to him and even their small voices made his head pound.
Then
Ashlin walked in and leaned over his desk, holding a phone out towards him,
"Jak's on the line. He wants to talk to you." She smiled at him as Daxter took
the phone from her with angry growl.
"You better not be calling in
sick," Daxter snapped, "'cause I dragged my ass outta bed so you can—"
"He's alive." Jak caught him off guard with a grim tone in his voice.
"WHAT!?" Daxter asked, snapping wide awake.
"The bomber, Daxter. He's back." Jak said and Daxter looked up as Samos and Norwood burst in the room, a look of horror on their faces.
"He's already hit one in Venice." Norwood said to Samos as they made their way to Daxter's desk, "The fire chief says there's nothing left."
Samos nodded and turned to Daxter to snap, "Temple, we've got a ransom from your dead terrorist. Says he's rigged a city bus. Where's Jak?"
"Where do you think!?" Daxter snapped.
Jak was driving like a manic. He forced the Jaguar to fishtail on the corner, ignoring the car horns that blared at him. He came up on the right side of the bus, where the door was. He looked in front of him and saw that the traffic thickened.
"Shit." He cursed and looked back at the bus and then the traffic, "Shit. I gotta get on that bus. Fast! Goddamnit."
Sam blinked at he heard the honk of a zoomer. He turned and saw Jak motioning to open his door. He did as told and listened intently.
"Drive straight!" Jak yelled.
"What!?" Sam demanded but he got the main idea.
Jak looked around, trying to figure out how to do this. He looked at the door on his right. Differently a problem. He swung open the door.
"What are you doing!?" The owner of the Jaguar zoomer demanded.
"Are you insured?" Jak asked calmly.
"Why?" The owner asked in a panicky voice.
But Jak already slammed on the breaks and sent the zoomer halting. The bus came up its side and the door was taken off its hinges and thrown into the air.
"SHIT!" The owner screamed.
Keira
watched in amazement as the Jaguar zoomer, minus the door, caught back up with
the bus. Was this man insane? What was so wrong?
"Drive straight!" Jak shouted
and turned to the owner of the ruined zoomer, "I'm gonna need to borrow this."
He said reaching for the cell phone.
"Go on take it!" The owner said with a look of disgust on his face. What use did he have for the phone now that his car was missing a door?
"Take the wheel!" Jak called as he leaned out the side of the car. The bus doors slid open and Jak prepared himself to lunge for the steps of the bus.
Sam watched as Jak steadied himself, wind whipping his loose white tee around him. He didn't notice another car in front of him slow down to forty until it was too late. He swerved to avoid it.
Jak yelled as he leaped in the air. For a moment, it looked like he was going to miss but then his right hand reached out and grabbed the bottom of the handrail in front of the bus. He cried out in pain as his shoulder was wrenched. His feet dragged against the pavement as he struggled to raise himself onto the steps.
The owner of the Jaguar zoomer struggled to steady his zoomer, but not fast enough. He plowed into the big yellow water-filled collusion barrels on the side of the road. Unharmed, he picked himself out of his seat and craned his neck to see if Jak made it into the bus okay.
Jak managed to pull himself onto the bus with only his one arm. Gasping, panting he doubled over and tried to regain lost energy. He dusted himself off while everyone stared at him confusion. He reached down into his pocket and pulled out his badge. Erol in the back of the bus looked even more concerned.
Jak faced them with a cold demeanor and held out his badge like a shield, "Everybody, I'm Officer Jak Traven. Krimzon Guard. We've got a slight… situation on the bus here."
Keira rose from her seat, her eyes narrowing with anger because Helen was trembling besides her, "What's going on!? Are you crazy?" She demanded.
"Ma'am, if you please sit down we can deal with this in an orderly fashion." Jak eyed the young woman. She was very pretty, he had to admit and she looked like a fierce warrior with her eyes glowing in a protective light. Had this been a different situation he might have given her a more thorough look over and maybe even a pick-up line, but he was already preoccupied.
"No, I will not sit down!" Keira cried angrily, wishing he didn't look so attractive so everything would be easier. His hair was spiked by the wind and the sun glistened off the golden tresses, "You are scaring the shit out of these people!"
"Ma'am." Jak snapped, now getting annoyed with her stubbornness. Their eyes each other and the bus became thick with the tension. Keira and Jak were close enough to feel the angry heat—hers' stubbornness, his fear—bouncing off each others' bodies in waves. They stared long and hard into one another's eyes.
Finally, because he had such a stern voice, she sat down. A small pout marred her lips and she glared up at him as he passed. He offered her a smirk, but said nothing otherwise.
Erol watched Jak approach in fear. He reached under his heavy sweatshirt and fingered something as Jak stepped closer and closer towards him.
"If everyone will just stay in your seats and remain calm and quiet we'll be able to defuse the… problem." Jak bit back the word 'bomb'. No need to create a mass hysteria, "So sit tight and wait for my further instruction."
As he approached Erol, the young man jumped from his seat. In his hand was a small pistol and it was aimed directly at Jak. Jak recoiled and screams of terror filled the air.
"Get away from me!" He screamed.
Jak pulled forth his own Glock and aimed it at Erol's head. They came to a standstill and everyone in the bus held their breath. Keira tensed and look at Erol harshly, as if judging his crime. But she also noticed that he looked more frightened then he looked evil.
Jak knew there was no way he could deal with Erol right now so he said in a soothing voice, "I don't know you, man. I'm not here for you. So let's not do this."
Erol wasn't listening to Jak. He was looking at Sam, "Stop the bus!" He cried and Sam's fingers tightened the wheel, knowing very well he couldn't stop.
"He can't." Jak continued on soothingly.
"Shut up, freak!" Erol shouted at Jak, taking a step forward. Jak instinctively took one back.
Another young man, this one named Torn, leaned from his seat, "Stay cool, man." He advised Erol in his rough voice.
"Stop the bus!" Erol called to Sam once again. Sam glanced over at Jak, looking for an order of what to do.
Jak didn't bother to answer, "Look, I'm putting my gun away." Slowly, he replaced the gun back into its holster, "Okay? Okay? Listen, I don't care about your crime. Whatever it is you did I'm sure… you're very sorry and so it's cool now. It's over." He also dropped his gun on the floor, "And I'm not a cop right now. See? We're just two cool guys. Just hanging on the bus."
Though there was a fumbling manner to Jak's speech, no one could miss the hypnotic lull he had placed in it. Erol slowly began to lower his gun. Then the big man Keira had called Sig jumped him.
"NOOOO!!!!!" Jak cried. He lunged over to Sig and Erol to stop their fighting. Erol's hand pulled the trigger and a shot blasted into the air. Everyone not involved with the struggle dropped to the floor. As Jak tried to pull the two men apart, Erol fired once again by accident.
Sam fell forward against his driving wheel, gasping for breath. He still kept his foot pressed firmly against the gas pedal. The only two who noticed this at first were Keira and Helen.
"SAM!" Helen cried in horror as the bus gave a jerk. Keira lunged forward the wheel to stop it from crashing and Helen reached out to help Sam.
Jak heard their struggle and decided to finish Erol off. He disarmed the young man with two crunching blows. Erol rolled to the floor, completely subdued.
"Move him!" Keira screamed to Helen as she tried to remove Sam's foot from the pedal.
"He's bleeding!" Helen cried to Keira, pressing her hands against Sam's shoulder to try to stop the flowing of his fluids.
"I have to stop this thing!" Keira cried as Sam's blood trickled onto her arm. She knew her friend didn't have much time before he died.
Hearing that, Jak spun around and shouted to her, "No! No, stay above fifty! You gotta stay above fifty. Do you hear me?"
Keira glared at him through the front mirror of the bus, "We've got an injured man—"
"You gotta stay above fifty or this bus will explode!" Jak ordered, seeing that he could no longer keep it a secret. Everyone fell into a deep silence at those words and Keira's eyes met his in the mirror for the briefest second. She then pressed her foot on the accelerator.
"Shit." She mumbled unhappily.
Author's Notes: Oooh! Cliffhanger! How is Keira gonna handle the fact that she's on a bus meant to explode? Obviously no one's gonna take it well!
Next Chapter: In which Keira is sarcastic, Jak is not amused, Praxis is bastard, there is a baby carriage and Jak the Younger makes a cameo with Kor.
Reviews:
Krimzon-Yakkow026: why, thank ya kindly. I do try to make my stories interesting and I'm just ever-so glad you're loving them! And since the story is based on the actual screen play of 'Speed' I hope it isn't too hard to understand. I hope you enjoy the next chapters because there are some twists!
Silent Zephyr: I'm glad there is another Speed fan out there! I can't find any who does. Anyway, as far as Roid fanart goes I've suspended all fanart due to the havoc my personal life is currently in. Sorry for any inconvenience I may have caused you
Specter Von Baron: why, hello, puppet. I'm glad you've watched the movie and now you know what happened in the beginning. I always thought it didn't get interesting until Keanu meets Sandra, but maybe that's just me?
DarkJakLuverandTora: when I first read the plotline of 'Speed' I thought there was no way this could be interesting. A bus that couldn't stop going and going? Sounds like something from the Pink Power Bunny commercials, no? But it's my favourite movie now!
Glorfindel Silverleaf: well, I updated… just not ever fast sheepish grin I hope you continue to review you… ah… silverleaf, you!
Hellmouth2: I shan't ever stop! That is a promise! Writing is my life… 'cause I have no life and I am proud of it!
Monkeypants: Yes, Jak IV! Specter has been helping quite a bit to get it started so it came out faster then originally planned! Sala and Gareth will be making a few cameos, but the plotline doesn't revolve around the Holy City so much as before. Look at the trailer!
Chris: glad you like!
And now, as promised, here is the trailer for Jak IV: The Abomination. I would just like to thank Specter Von Baron for his help and creation of the trailer! Without him who knows where the sequel would be? Certainly not even begun to be written! You're a doll, Specter!
Jak IV: The
Abomination
My name is Roid
Lightning, and I have a story to tell
"I'm so sorry, Keira, but Jak just didn't come back after the mission. He just
disappeared. The Krimzon Guard and the Wastelanders are searching for him but…
but it's been two months, Keira."
It is not my story, though I suppose I
play a part in it
"Everything goes from ashes to ashes... but in between there is life… if we do
not stop it's rising that in-between will end… -
It is how we did something that no one
could have thought possible... or even
believe
"The newly recreated Sage-Harmona has found an ancient stone tablet depicting
the power of Neryc's bloodline… and they sought to
control it… that was how the Abomination was made… a Metal Head in a human
cell."
The power that we 7 wielded, and that the
Pyrafiter used, was unimaginable
She filled his every sleeping thoughts and most of
his wakening. He loved her like no man or beast had ever loved before... and
now... now she was dead
Cyren's courage was tremendous on that
day and, as long as that human is by his side, he will continue to show that
courage
"I am meant to love you, have your child, and watch her die as she fights to change what she tried to do millions of years ago. I can't do that to her, Cyren, no matter how I love… Kigene can't be born again; she'll die like in my dream…"
For we have one last battle before the end... but who will survive the coming conflict, not even my foresight can tell"Crea said to stay by your side since you know how to fight and—" Maelia jerked her to the left and looked at the blonde talking to the leader of the desert band, "but I DO know how to fight, Crea!"
I just hope that if I die that my companions will remember me, Roid Lightning, descendent of the Metal Head general Wodu. And I will protect the ones I love... at any cost...
"You fear us… we the mere mortals, god! That is why you want the girl dead for she is the sum of all your fears. She is the mother of Change… the mother of your downfall… tremble god at the power of a woman… the life-giver…"