Chapter X: The Fight

(Inside City, Near Palace)

Jak, Keira, Daxter, and Brutter had managed to sneak into the City. Since Jak was the Prince, he knew how to get past the security systems that had the City locked down. Jak and Co. hid near the Palace doors, it was guarded by Metal-Heads. Opening the Palace doors would be a cinch to Jak, however, getting past the Metal-Heads would be harder.

"Metal-Heads…" Daxter groaned. "I hate Metal-Heads. So what's your plan for getting past those guys?"

Jak thought, then he said, "Live bait."

"Good idea," Then Daxter paused when he realized what Jak was asking for. "Hey!"

"Come on, Dax and Brutter, you guys need to create a diversion!" Jak said.

"What do you want me to do?" Daxter demanded, "Dress in drag and do the hula?" Both Jak and the crazy author behind this story grins.

(While later)

A catchy drumbeat catches the Metal-Head's attention. Daxter, dressed in a hula skirt and a lei and everything dances the hula and sings:

"Luau!

If you're hungry for a hunk of fat and juicy meat

Eat my buddy, Brutter, cause he is a treat!"

(A/N: No matter how hard I try, I can't make out this line! Man, I knew I should've gotten the DVD! Oh well, I'll improvise…)

Daxter continued:

"Your mouth is waterin' for some tasty swine

But all you have to do is get in line!

Are ya achin'?"

"Yep, yep, yep!" Brutter said.

Daxter continued:

"For some bacon!"

"Yep, yep, yep!" Brutter said.

No one noticed Jak and Keira sneak into the Palace doors, the Metal-Heads were too busy drooling over the Lurker meal.

Daxter sang:

"He's a big Lurker!

You can be a Big Lurker too!

Oye!"

"AUGHHH!!!" Daxter and Brutter yelled as the Metal-Heads started to chase them off into the distance.

(Inside the Palace)

Jak pulled Keira into the shadows so that he could talk to her. "Keira, rally the people still loyal to me and find my mother." Jak frowned, "I'll look for Praxis."

"Be careful." Keira said as she headed off.

Jak headed towards the throne room, the first place Praxis might be. He made his way up to the throne room without incident. He somehow got inside without being noticed, the throne room was full of Metal-Heads and Praxis sat on the throne. Jak was about to attack when Praxis roared:

"ASHELIN!"

Jak stopped at his mother's name. Sure enough, Queen Ashelin herself walked in. The years had not been kind to her. The loss of her husband and, supposedly, her son had taken away the light in her eyes. Still, she walked towards Praxis with her head held high. Even as Metal-Heads snapped at her heels, she did not flinch. She made it to Praxis. "Yes, Praxis?" she asked.

"Where are your workers?" Praxis demanded, walking down to meet her at the foot of the stairs that led to the throne. "They're not doing their jobs!"

"Praxis, there is no more food." Ashelin said calmly.

"No, you're just not working hard enough!" Praxis said.

"It's over!" Ashelin said, "There is nothing left!" She paused, "We have only one choice, we must leave Haven City…"

"We're not going anywhere!" Praxis spat.

"Then you have sentenced us to death!" Ashelin said.

"So be it!" Praxis said.

"You can't do that!" Ashelin said.

"I am the King, I can do whatever I want!" Praxis said stubbornly.

"If you were half the King Damas was…" Ashelin began, but Praxis backhanded her across the face, sending her to the ground.

"I'M TEN TIMES THE KING DAMAS WAS!" Praxis roared. Jak had reached his temper's limit. Lightning flashed as Jak jumped from his hiding place, a look of pure rage on marred his features.

"Who are you?" Praxis demanded, but so was the look on his face that no one dared to approach him. He made his way though the Metal-Heads toward his mother. He held her in his arms, she looked at his face lucidly.

"Damas?" she asked.

"No, it's me." Jak said.

"Jak?" Her eyes lit up for the first time in ten years. "You're alive? How can that be?"

"It doesn't matter." Jak said, hugging his mother. "I'm home."

"Jak?" Praxis asked, then he recognized him. "Oh, Jak! I'm a little surprised to see you… alive." He shot a death glare at Firenza and Phoenix, who happened to be in the room. They snuck away.

Jak got up, and slowly advanced on Praxis, eyes aflame. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't rip you apart!"

"Jak! You don't understand!" Praxis backed up against a wall. "The pressures of ruling a Kingdom…"

"Are no longer yours." Jak finished his statement for him. "Step down, Praxis."

"Oh, I would, naturally." Praxis said, "But there is one itty bitty problem… You see them?" Praxis pointed around at the Metal-Heads, they growled. "They think I'm King."

"Well we don't!" Keira appeared, along with some of the loyal Freedom League Guards. She helped Ashelin up. "Jak's the rightful King!"

Jak felt infinitely more confident with an army behind him. "The choice is yours, Praxis. Either step down or fight!"

"Oh, must it all end in violence?" Praxis asked. "I'd hate to be responsible for the death of a family member. Wouldn't you agree, Jak?"

"That's not going to work, Praxis," Jak said, but he started to worry. "I've put it behind me."

Praxis walked up to Jak's army, "But what about your faithful subjects, have they put it behind them?"

"Jak, what is he talking about?" Keira asked.

"Ah! So you haven't told them your little secret!" Praxis said happily. "Well, here's your chance, Jak! Tell them who is responsible for Damas' death!" All eyes turned on Jak.

After a pause Jak said, "I am." Keira looked at Jak in horror. Ashelin approached her son; he couldn't bear to look his mother in the eyes now that she knew the truth.

"It's not true!" she said, "Tell me it's not true!" she begged her son.

Jak paused before answering, "It's true."

"You see? He admits it!" Praxis yelled. "Murderer!"

"No!" Jak yelled, "It was an accident!"

Praxis circled Jak like a vulture. "If it weren't for you Damas would still be alive, it's your fault he's dead, do you deny it?"

"No." Jak answered.

"Then you're guilty!" Praxis said.

"No! I'm not a murderer!" Jak defended himself, but it was useless.

"Oh, Jak, you're in trouble again." Praxis started to back Jak against a window, using a gun. "But, this time, daddy isn't here to save. And now everyone knows why!" Praxis aimed…

"Jak!" Keira cried.

However, Praxis didn't want to kill Jak just yet, he wasn't done gloating, so he shot the window behind Jak. Now, Jak had nothing behind him to stop him from falling to his death on the City streets below.

"Now, this looks familiar… where have I seen this before… let me think…" Praxis paused. Then he laughed. "Oh, yes, I remember! This is just the way your father looked before he died." Praxis lightly pushed Jak, sending him out the window, but Jak grabbed onto the ledge. Praxis leaned close to Jak's face, grinning madly. "And here's my little secret…" Praxis leaned down to whisper in Jak's ears so that only he could hear. "I killed Damas…"

Jak's eyes widen. He has a flashback of watching his father fall to his death. All Praxis' fault! It's not his fault! Rage such as he never knew before boiled in him. Using every once of strength in himself, he throws himself back into the room and pins Praxis to the floor. "Murderer!" Jak roars. Everyone gasps. "Tell them the truth!"

"But, Jak, the truth is in the eye of the behol…" Jak starts to chock Praxis. "Alright! Alright!" Praxis chocks, then he whispers, "I did it…"

"So they can hear you." Jak growls.

"I killed Damas!" Praxis yells for the whole room to hear. The reaction was instantaneous, and the Metal-Heads attacked Jak, as soon as that happened Jak's loyal troops, including Keira, attacked the Metal-Heads, trying to get them off Jak.

Brutter and Daxter ran into the flay. Brutter was more than a match for the Metal-Heads, so he was able to fight quite a few at once.

Finally, while Jak's army fought the Metal-Heads, Jak managed to get out. He looked around for Praxis. A flash of lightning illuminated the Palace; he spotted Praxis trying to sneak off to the Palace rooftop. "PRAXIS!" Jak roared.

Praxis panicked and began to run to the Palace rooftop. Jak followed close behind. Praxis made it first. He ran and almost fell off the top. The street was a LONG way down. He turned around just as Jak ran up and skidded to a halt.

"Murderer." Jak breathed as he approached Praxis.

"Jak, Jak, please have mercy!" Praxis begged.

"You don't deserve to live." Jak said, his voice full of slow anger, like a tank. Slow, but unstoppable.

"Jak, you don't understand!" Praxis said, looking for an excuse. "It's the Metal-Heads who are the real enemies!" Unfortunately, Firenza and Phoenix heard him say this, they snarled, Praxis didn't notice this. "It was their fault, it was their idea!"

"Why should I believe you?" Jak asked, bearing down on Praxis. "Everything you ever told me was a lie!"

"What are you going to do?" Praxis asked. "You wouldn't kill your own Uncle…"

"No, Praxis…" Jak frowned. "I'm not like you…"

"Oh, thank you, Jak!" Praxis said, relived. "You are truly noble. I'll make it up to you. How can I prove myself to you? Tell me, anything."

"Run." Jak said coldly, Praxis' eyes widened. "Run away, and never return!"

"Yes…" Praxis moved around Jak. "Of coarse… As you wish… your majesty!" Quicker than Jak could react, Praxis grabbed some dirt and threw it in Jak's eyes!

"AUGH!" Jak cried as he tried to remove the dust from his eyes. Then Praxis, like the coward he was, punched Jak in the stomach when he was distracted. Jak was down, but far from out. Jak got right back up and didn't hesitate in attacking Praxis. Jak punched Praxis right across the face. Praxis returned the favor with a punch to the face of his own. Quick as the lightning that flashed overhead, Jak regained his balance and saw Praxis rushing him like a raged Yakkow bull. Jak instinctively sidestepped the attack and the stupid bastard flew right past Jak and off the edge of the Palace. Praxis fell down and landed on a large ledge. He was hurt, but not dead. Jak looked over the ledge at him.

Praxis slowly got up; Firenza and Phoenix were there, along with a bunch of other Metal-Heads. "Ah, my friends…" Praxis said.

"Friends?" Firenza laughed. "I thought he said we were the enemy!"

"Yeah, that's what I heard." Phoenix said. Praxis' eyes widened in horror. "Guys?" The other Metal-Heads laughed as they circled the wounded ex-king.

"No! Wait!" Praxis cried, "Let me explain! You don't understand! No! No!" The Metal-Heads jumped on Praxis and… well… Let's just say that even Jak had to look away from the carnage below. Thus, died ex-King Praxis Mar.