Jak II Chronicles
ACT 1: A City Under Siege
Chapter 2: Dramatic Changes

"Night watching was one of my favorite hobbies. I would go to Sentinel Beach, place my telescope in the same location as I have always done, then gaze upon the mysteries of the universe. There was always a sense of calmness and elegance whenever I gazed upon those little twinkling balls of light. Did the Precursors give us something to stare at so we wouldn't be terrified of the dark?

I'm an explorer. I've searched all four corners of the globe and have witness many a wonder, many a horrifying, many a beauty. Most being the truth about these so-called Precursors. Higher beings, dared to call then deities who slept in the stars, watching over us. What wonders could they bring to us? My questions grew even more when I met the boy, not able to gain any answers until much later in my life…


A small, white comet hurtling towards the ocean, but they do not fall directly down and certainly not this fast. I viewed through my telescope and barely saw a human figure through all the white. The figure was small, like that of a child. I dismissed it, wondering if I was losing my eyesight. Nonsense! I was still young back then, still had all the blonde in my hair!
It landed in the water. I quickly swam towards it, not caring that the ocean waves were crashing into me, hoping it would do a successful job of drowning me. I struggled with all my might, but I went until I stopped at the exact location of where the "White Thing" fell. I had a photographic memory, so I remembered where it was. I dived in and after a couple of minutes of searching, I was holding a small boy in my hands…My face was in shock. A boy was the thing I rescued. It was the comet. What was the manner of this? Sending a child down from the heavens? A gift from the Precursors? An omen? Could the precursors have sent me this boy as some sort of sign?"

……………………

Haven City Slums, Haven City
Month 5: Mair, Day 14 (Spring/Summer Time)
Year: 299 TOMH (Time of the Metal Heads)

The escape from prison wasn't so bad. There weren't any guards anywhere near the cells where the prisoners were kept. A rumor has floated that the majority of the prisoners are homicidal and crazy. Despite their insanely heavy armors and weaponry, the Krimzon Guards stayed a clear distance from them. Yes, the Krimzon Guards, the armed force of Haven Kingdom.
Truly, Jak and Daxter knew that escape was the first thing in their mind before talking about what has been happening in the last two years since they met. And escape they did. The prison wasn't a place where one can swell freely without feeling an urge to throw up.
The whole way through out, Daxter ranted on and on about the state of the place.
"This floor is sticky" or "I don't like this part of the place, it's creepy" and "Is that a skeleton?" Daxter, two years in a world he's never been and still unchanged. Jak would have smirked if not for their dire situations.

"Daxter, can you be any more chatty?"
Daxter had every right to complain though. The entire area was surrounded by spider webs, gunks and mucks that refused to go clean, no matter how many times the janitors tried. Then there were the unexplainable creatures that the scientists created. Last Jak heard, the janitors quit after one of them got eaten by something unmentionable and indescribable, or so he heard. The floors were constantly wet from leaking ceilings and pipes and the entire hallways were dark and surrounded by boxes, barrels, and crates.
Occasionally, the duo would hear a Krimzon Guard or two. Jak would sneak away from them or render them unconscious if they were blocking his way, but truth be told, he did not know his way out, so he had to make estimated guess. For some unknown reasons, maps weren't anywhere near. This place in generally was something he didn't understand at all. With contraptions and other doo-dads he's never laid eyes on, this entire world even after two years, was new to him.

But how could he understand everything in two years? He was imprisoned with very little to go. The schedules were all the same: Wake up, breakfast (mmm, gruel), work (possibly laundry or maybe dishes), lunch (look, more gruel, how lucky we are!), work, dinner (Guess what we're having? Gruel? No, I never would have guessed), and then sleep. Sometimes, something "exciting" and "new" happens, like say, double work, or maybe a new job switch, or maybe someone died or a fight would break loose. Jak developed a harsh sarcasm over his years in the slammer.

It didn't help that the clothes he wore were ungratefully uncomfortable: Tight indigo leather outfit with the same precursor ring he wore back in Sandover (which he felt familiar with) made it hard for him to move his arms around. He felt as though his chest was suffocating, and he had a horrible enough time trying to scratch the itches around his body encased by that blue tunic, ("You'll get just to it later, Jak." Daxter would say) a red scarf that surrounded around his face which he had on for two years, so it was something he was used to and felt comfortable with. Loose, somewhat baggy white pants which could easily be stained, goggles (another familiarity that either Daxter bought similar ones or somehow found Jak's old goggles) graced his forehead, and of course, the brown and indigo boot which was the most uncomfortable feature in Jak's body. These so-called "shoes" enveloped his entire feet and those enclosed space was something he didn't enjoy. Jak wanted very much to remove them and run wild and free with bare feet, but Daxter saw it's more or less require to wear (plus, he said sandals wouldn't look good on him). Jak didn't very much care for his opinion, but kept them on his feet, however tempted he was.
"You can't even feel the grass and dirt or whatever metal thingy grounds with these shoes like you can with feet!" Jak muttered, "What useless buggers these are."
Lastly was his green and yellow hair, smoothed down then spiked up like his younger self had done. All in all, he definitely gave off an impression of a much darker being then usual.

……………………

Jak had reached the duct area with the fan turned off, so that was a good thing. Crawling around it quietly, Jak saw something shining.
"I see light!" Daxter shouted excitedly. Jak did too after he managed to cup Daxter's mouth. He crawled out and landed about 10 feet before landing on his back on the hard, hard ground.
"OW!" Daxter cried. Jak merely rubbed his back and opened his eyes. Blue. Blue sky. Clouds, the sun! The latter which temporarily blinded him before he fully grasped his situation and surroundings. Could he be hallucinating? Did he see what he just saw? He laughed boastfully (if not a bit sinisterly) as if he just won something victorious. Two years he did see the two suns, and the blue skies. He almost cried.
"WE'RE FREE!" Daxter kneeled down and started to bow, being the ever dramatic Ottsel he is, "OH, I KISS THE GROUND!" And he did. Jak got up and brushed the dirt off his new clothes, took Daxter, placed him on his shoulder, and ran away as far as he could from that prison. He never, EVER, wanted to return there again.
"So, now what? Daxter asked.
"We need to find someplace to hide." Jak suggested, "Do you know any place?"
"Why are you looking at me? Daxter scoffed, "I spent the last two years looking for YOU and JUST you, so I didn't have much to sightsee. Sure, I know a couple of places, but there mainly public places like the mall or the movie theater or the-"
"A mall? What the bloody hell is that?" Jak asked, "And movie theater? What the bloody hell is THAT?"
"Oh, right, I forgot your city illiterate." Daxter sighed, rolling his big eyes.
"City? THIS is a city?" Jak gasped, "I thought cities were old mystical ruins from the precursor's past, not this…this…whatever this is!"
"Shush, you're attracting a crowd." Daxter placed a lip to Jak, "And we don't want any Krimzon Guards over here! They're EVERYWHERE in this place." And truth be told, the soldiers garnered in red were patrolling every aspect of the city. Jak made it his duty to not sight step anywhere near them.
"Well, I need to find someone who can give me some information." Jak spoke again seriously. And so, Jak started asking people around. But he was in the slums and in the slums; people didn't give a damn about other people's concern. This unfortunately riled up Jak that he swore the next person who came close to him would result in him giving him some information or else…

"Hello strangers. My name is Kor. May I help…" Jak quickly turned to see a random old man who just uprightly went up to Jak like they've met before. Jak assumed, however, that the man was just some old weirdo who helped whoever looked confused. He took this as a sign to berate him and ask for help, and not in a nice way either.
"You look like a reasonably smart man. I want information! Where the hell am I!" Jak saw the old man and he quickly grabbed him, shaking him uncontrollably.
"Aaah... sorry! He's new here." Daxter sheepishly laughed as he leaped down to a small boy near him, "…Jak, maybe you should let him go before he can answer your question." Jak did so, but kept his frowning face to show signs of anger. The old man brushed his old blue robe in a casual manner, keeping a straight face.
"A talking Ottsel…seeing one is rare in itself, but a talking one…" Kor smiled a bit. Daxter just smiled, forgetting that he couldn't speak in public. Animals don't generally talk. Kor ignored Daxter though and turned his attention to Jak while both Daxter and the small boy watched the two communicate.

"Well, my angry young friend, you are a 'guest' of his 'majesty' Baron Praxis, the ruler of 'glorious' Haven City." Kor sarcastically answered.
"I was just a 'guest' in the good Baron's prison." Jak retaliated.
"Inside a cell or inside the city... walls surround us both. We are all his prisoners." The old man continued. Kor spoke in a gravelly voice. His voice more then matched his appearance. White hair that stuck out like a lion's mane, white beard that fell down to his chest, blue robes that flowed down like a sagely wizard as well as brown boots (one of them showed his barefoot), as well as a walking stick almost as big as him. To top of it, he had light blue eyes which ironically gave him a youthful appearance.
"What do you mean by "we're all prisoner?" Jak asked.
"You do not listen well." Kor sighed, "There are walls surrounding these cities, guarded by security guards. No one gets in or out without a special passport. Not even the zoomers are high enough to. Only specialized vehicles and taxi services can, among others the Baron wishes to issue."
"Why? What's outside the city walls?" Jak sighed, rolling his eyes, "Are people afraid of nature or something? Are people just xenophobic?"
"Heh!" Kor cried, "It is because of those dreaded Metal Heads that we are stranded here."
"Brrr, Metal Heads." Daxter shivered, "Not something I wanna be near for more then 5 seconds."
"Metal Heads?" Jak repeated its name, curious as to know what they are. He heard the Baron mention it often, but he never knew what they were.
"Powerful creatures ranging in different species." Kor explained, "Each with a glowing gold head. They invade everywhere. Anyone who leaves would be making a suicidal attempt. They travel in packs. You kill a dozen; a dozen more will come." Kor further explained, "That is why we cannot escape. They've been a pain to us for years."
"Trust the old guy, I've seen one, they ain't pretty or friendly!" Daxter added, "They like to sneak into the city. They're unfortunately smart."
"Yes, they are." Kor nodded, "The only way to destroy the Metal Heads is to kill their leader, but he's current location are unknown to Haven citizens. Not even the Baron knows."
"So, we live in this...Haven City and we're hopelessly trapped in here because of Metal Heads?" Jak summarized. Kor nodded.
"No weapon is strong enough to wipe them all off." Kor shook his head, "Rumors speak that the Baron is planning to make a new and powerful weapon to stop the Metal heads to protect his city."
"I don't get it!" Jak shouted, "If the Baron's intentions are good, then how come he's such an ass? If he is the leader of this city, why do the people here suffer in pain and neglect?"
"The Baron ruled this city three long years ago." Kor sat down on a front porch of an abandoned house, "Right after the King and Queen were killed from a Metal Head attack, the king's little brother, Baron Praxis, took over and everything went downhill from there. There is barely any hope anymore. The Baron's rules are ruthless and offensive compare to the former King's more logical laws." The child came closer to Kor and gave a saddening look towards Jak and Daxter.
"…………Bugger." Jak muttered, "I entered a dystopia city. Fantastic."

"However, there is hope." Kor pointed, "Despite all the current turmoil we're facing, we have people who rebels against his way. Freedom Fighters, you could say. They handle missions to stop the Baron in any way possible. And the other hope is this boy here." Kor placed a bony hand on the small boy who had been tagging along with him.
"What's the deal with him?" Jak asked.
"He is the-"

"HALT!" A Krimzon soldier marched in their direction along with several more. Kor, the child, and Daxter both gave off horrified looks while Jak looked more agitated.

"By order of his eminence, the Grand Protector of Haven City, Baron Praxis, everyone in this section is hereby under arrest for suspicion of harboring underground fugitives. Surrender and die!" The leader KG ordered.
"Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time." Kor gasped as he stood up. The small boy quickly ran to Kor who placed a caring hand on his shoulder.
"Halt?" Jak scoffed, "We didn't even move or anything."
"Yea, and don't you mean surrender, OR die? Daxter screamed, panicking as he did so, unaware that he was speaking in front of people. Jak quickly took Daxter and shut his mouth up.
"Not in this city!" Kor gasped.
"We didn't do anything, so we're not going anywhere!" Jak stood his ground, "SO BUGGER OFF!"
"We're warning you, surrender peacefully and this will go nice and easy." The leader of the small Krimzon Guard grouped (well, small "as 20 guards" small, compare to the hundreds and hundreds in grand total), cried back.
"NO."
"Then it's the hard way."
"JAK!" Daxter screamed.

A fight began. Jak had a few skills in combat thanks to a martial artist named Chop-Chop back in Sandover (Jak nicknamed him "Choppy"). He never completed his training, so he basically only knew the basics with few special moves, yet he still skilled enough to hold them off. All the heavy lifting and constant mopping did his arms good. And the fact that he moved around a lot in the prison helped his legs. There was also a sturdy pipe in his cell where he developed muscles by doing pull ups. He would exercise everyday when he had the chance to hone his skills even more so then usual. Taking out the guards were easy, but what Jak didn't count on was how more would come to aid their comrades. They were like the Metal Heads, a dozen dies, a dozen more came in. The ones gravely injured were pulled away by Green armored Krimzon forces (the First Aid force) They barely had any armor, but you could easily tell they were part of the Krimzon Force by the symbol they had on. That is why the army is strong. Eventually, even Jak was getting tiresome. Just how many guards are in the slums! His anger was at the point of insanity. He wanted to let it all out. His eyes grew dark. His teeth were clenched. He hated them all, he hated this city, he hated the Baron…..

"JAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAK!" Daxter shouted. His friend's voice could not be heard from the sounds of lightning crackling, the small lightning surrounding Jak and the loud scream he made that shook the very grounds he was in on. He was pure white in color once again, his eyes all black, no pupil could be seen, his hair a grayish white, and his nails grew 5 inches thicker. He was a demon once more, just like he was back in prison.
Kor and the child watched in amazement and shock at Jak's sudden transformation. People nearby saw this stunning display and froze in their tracks. Daxter was confused and upset. He and Jak have been friends for years and he feared Jak's sudden new looks. Why him? Why he's best friend? Why not someone else's best friend? The fight felt slow throughout. Jak's claws swiped the armors straight out of the guards. How can 5 inch nails do those to one of the strongest metals in existence? Whatever the case was, Jak did it. He managed to shoot our lightning and other magical doo-dads that Jak never could do before. In the end, in a matter of minutes, all the guards either ran away or died. Not one body was on the floor as Jak wiped them all out into dust with his dark magic or dragged out by the First Aid Green Krimzon Guards. He then turned to face the three and the majority of the people staring at him. Jak groaned, clutching his head and fell on his knees. Daxter, hesitating, slowly went over to his friend, but stayed back. It was the Kid's turn. Kor suggest he didn't get near, but the child only looked at his old guardian and went over to Jak who was shaking ever so slightly until he came to his original self again. The kid tried to extend his hand to touch him…

"J-Jak?" Daxter squeaked, keeping a distance. Jak slowly lifted his head up and saw the child and his extended hand. Kor finally decided to drag him away.
"D-Daxter?" Jak gasped, now starring at the little horrified ottsel. The people surrounding Jak didn't runaway in fear. In fact, they didn't know whether they SHOULD fear him or applaud him for wiping out the Krimzon Guards. The slum dwellers wanted to hurt them for the years the Baron ruled. Instead of doing either, they just minded their own business.
"Strange folks." Daxter sighed. Then he eyed Jak and smiled, "That was cool! Do it again!"
"…Something's happening to me... Something he did... I can't... control it." Jak stood up, and stared at his hands, then Daxter. What WAS he? Before he had the time to think, Kor interrupted.
"Very impressive." Kor smiled, his eyes still half closed, eerily calm, "What you just did was very brave. And we couldn't ask for anything, especially him (Kor placed a hand on the child's shoulders)….This child is important."
"This kid? He looks kinda... scruffy." Daxter noted.
The child was silent. Like Kor, he wore blue for the majority. They were overalls with pants that reached to his knees, below that was him barefooted, making Jak wonder if he should just take off his shoes. The child had on a brown pilot helmet that many Precursians wore as a fashion statement. Inside the overall was a white shirt that seemed almost tank top then T-shirt (what with the shirt sleeve length) as well as brown bands around his wrists. His hair that barely showed over the helmet was a beautiful green. The child's eyes, however the same amount of color as Jak, was bright and hopeful looking, not dark and ominous. To top it all off, the kid had on a special pendent of some sort, orange in color and round in shape. It was a beautiful piece.
"Thank you for your help, but I must get this boy to safety." Kor smiled. And taking the reluctant child, he started to leave.
"Hey! What about us?" Daxter shouted.
"Hmmm…" The old man pondered, "Well, That underground group raging war against Baron Praxis that I mentioned before, its leader, the Shadow, could use fighters like you. Go to the slums. Find a dead-end alley near the city wall. Ask for Torn. He can help you. Head right." He pointed.
"Thanks a lot old timer." Daxter grinned, "Come on, Jak, this might do us some good."
Jak nodded. And they would go their separate ways. The child, smiling, waved at Jak who had his back turned, so he didn't see.

…………………

The journey to see Torn gave time for Jak and Daxter to catch up on old time. Jak's story was short, Work and experimented. There was nothing he knew about the city. He learned a few technologies in there, such as "TV" or "radio", but just simple ones, nothing more. Daxter's story was more colorful.
"In the 2 years I've been stuck in this city, I learn about the many technologies and stuff they have here." Daxter started, "They even have medicines that can cure a headache in just hours! And the zoomers got advanced, too. I mean, we get these new stuff never before seen in our world. It's like civilizations advanced. I wonder how that happened. I don't even know what year this is!"

"Maybe we're in another part of Precursia." Jak theorized, "Or maybe this city is hidden."
" Well, whatever. Any who, as an Ottsel living amongst people I wasn't familiar with, my speech was limited. I mean, I can't talk in front of people. I actually got through on food and money by hanging around people, especially girls who think I'm cute and adorable, which I am, by the way. They would give me food and such. I also entertained them by dancing and such. I had a sign that said, "Meet Daxter, the amazing Ottsel. I have taught him to dance." So it always seemed I have an owner, but was never shown."
"That's clever." Jak grinned, "But…how did you buy my clothes?"
"Well, by then, I was quite an infamous little individual." Daxter smiled, "I was widely known in the slums mostly. They knew me as the Ottsel with the "invisible" master. Usually when I go in to specific stores, like the clothes store, I would get help from the shop owners who would help pick out the clothes for me and I would pay him. I was trained by my master, as far as anyone was concerned."
"What do you know? You actually CAN survive on your own without me having to save your ass half the time." Jak kept that grin.
"Funny. Any who, other times, I would sneak around for information on where you were and think of ways to bust you out." Daxter sighed, "I tried so many times to break you out. It wasn't easy, buddy. I mainly stayed around here, the slums area."
Jak nodded.
And they talked and talked. It felt like old times again, if not for a brief time.
"I think we're here." Jak gasped when they reached a dead end alley.

…………………

They slowly walked, but was soon blocked out by a blonde haired girl. Her hands were on her hips and she gave a glare. Daxter, smitten, was about to put his usual "lady charm" until Jak spoke.
"Uhh… We're looking for a guy named Torn. Kor sent us... Um…" Jak started, not sure what he was doing half the time. Of course, he got his answer when a extremely lanky man came walking in their directions, eyes fixed only on Jak, a grin that looked mixed with anger, tattoos gracing his face, and clothes composed of mainly silver metal armors, and indigo in almost every other part of his body. He was certainly well armed and despite his skinny appearance, his blue eyes alone showed the coldness that he has done some killing in his life. Top that off with auburn hair; tied up to make him look very…well…reggae, for lack of better words
"Are you... Torn?" Jak stepped back a few.
"Maybe this guy's a mute." Daxter whispered to Jak.
" New faces make me nervous. Word is you're out to join the fight for the city. You know, picking the wrong side could be...unhealthy."
"Words travel fast…any who, we want to see the Shadow." Jak gained a bit more confidence.
" Huh, huh, huh. Not likely. If you want to join something, why don't you and your pet go join the circus? Heh. Unless you got the fur for a really tough task?" The man named Torn snickered as he walked away from them before stopping to turn his head around to face them. Daxter, being insulted by a man he only knew for about 30 seconds, got into in a fight mode, ready to bite Torn's face off. Jak made a hand motion to calm him down.
"A tough task, eh?" Jak crossed his arms, grinning, "Like what?"
Torn then placed his hand behind his back and took out a crescent moon shaped knife. He eyed it like it was his precious baby and eyed the two.
" Steal the Baron's banner from the top of the Ruined Tower and bring it back to me. Then maybe we'll talk." Torn tossed his knife and caught it with ease.
Jak and Daxter stared at each other. Jak smirked…
To Be Continued…