Pain
Jak leaned back against the wall and stared out the door of Keira's garage. The Underground had been going through a rough time lately. They were moving constantly, and incessantly changing their tactics against the Baron. Things were going askew and Jak had no idea why.
"So, Jak, buddy ol' pal of mine." Daxter drawled out in his usual Daxter tone. "What 'cha thinking of?"
"Nothing really, Dax... What do you want?" Jak raised a single green eyebrow.
"Nooothin'... Okay, okay. Stop pulling my chain. I want to go home, and drink some liquor, and have some... fun, if you catch my drift." Daxter nudged Jak's calf with his elbow. "Eh? Eh?"
Jak smirked and snorted. "If you could find another anatomically correct person to have 'fun' with Dax, you be my guest."
Daxter's large grin faded, and he hung his head, staring at his feet. "I wanna go home."
Jak looked down at his friend. The young boy had been with him through thick and thin, and even though he could be a pain in the ass and his mouth was as wide as the Baron's head, Jak knew in his heart that they were probably stuck here for a long time. "I know. Me too."
"Hey guys!" Keira chimed in from behind. "The race is in a few days, are you sure you can handle the course. They're holding practice runs at the track till the day of. You should take the old racer pod and practice your turns, I've heard they're rough in the class one." She smiled sweetly and walked inside her garage, again working on the time machine in the back.
Jak sighed as Daxter crawled his way back to his shoulder. "Ready for some practice there Dax?"
"Sure thing Jak, just try to take the corners a little slower this time. Last time I almost fell off."
"Are those at the line ready?... Set... GO!"
Erol shot off the line. His racer barley gripping the magnetic pull. His hair flying back away from his face. He did this to prove he wasn't just good at shooting a gun. He did this to prove he did have guts under all his tough exterior armor. He did this to get closer to her. Keira. Erol took the turn too wide and the back end of his racer glanced off the wall.
"Shit!" Erol screamed as his pod careened around the next corner and hit head first into the wall. Luckily he didn't explode into a ball of flames. This was only practice and one never took practice runs too quickly. Just in case, don't want to die before the big day.
"Ha! I guess they don't make them as good as they think, eh Jak?"
Erol turned and was face to face with Jak. The only one he couldn't stand in the entire world. The only one that Keira looked at in that way. "What are you doing here scum bag?"
"Wow! Your vocabulary grew!" Daxter clapped his paws together. "Congratulations, did you finally graduate to kindergarten?"
Erol clenched his teeth and growled at the small Ottsel. "Better teach your rat some manners Jak." He looked Jak straight in the eye. "Or something bad might happen to him."
Jak picked Daxter off the ground and placed him on his shoulder. "Knock it off. We have a practice to start, and your master is calling you. Ta ta." Jak turned on his heel and stalked back towards his racer.
"You better learn who's the bigger man here Jak. Bad things happen to those who try too hard to be more than they are! Bad things Jakster!" Erol turned the other direction and stalked off towards the castle.
"Don't listen to him Jak, you're the biggest man in my book." Daxter gave a thumbs up and patted Jak on the back of the head.
"He made it to the class one races? I thought you said you had it under control!" Baron Praxis slammed his fist onto the table. His cup sloshed it's contents onto the surface of the metal furniture and wobbled precariously.
"Yes Baron. I have it under control. He won't make it any further." Erol bowed to the large and furious man in front of him.
"You better Captain, or I'll see to it that your scrubbing toilets again."
Erol bowed lower and retreated back out the door, leaving the Baron to sit and fume by himself in the large elegant dining room. "I've got Jak right where I want him." Erol's lip curled up and bared his teeth like a snarling cat about to pounce.
"Wooo! You got shlome good stuff here ol' whhoone eye!" Daxter raised his half full glass towards Krew. The large balloon like man was floating around nibbling on biscoti and sipping on some hard liquor, looking about to pass out. Daxter was currently parading across the front counter, mumbling about metal heads and lurkers and how he disliked the whole bunch.
Jak sighed and sat down next to Sid. "So how's the work going?"
"Alright I guess." Sid replied in his deep tone of voice. Jak nodded in agreement and finished off his pink liquor lemonade. Krew's bar was unusually full tonight. The night before a big race, this was a common place to go. Jak looked around at the locals. The girls were all dressed fairly in the same garments as they wore on the streets. The men were fresh shaven and clean, after a hard days work in the slums. A dysfunctional society all crammed together.
Krew floated over to Jak. His large rolls of stomach proceeding him before he was even at the wanted destination. Looking up at the small head atop the global body Jak had to hold his breath. It seemed the wealthy felt the lower class had to put up with their stench, while, if the lower class smelled, it was an atrocity. Jak couldn't stand this place.
"Eh Jak. You better watch that pet of yours. He's getting a bit... Unsightly, eh. Scaring away my customers." Krew sneered at Daxter as he danced and flirted and moved on dancing and flirting his way down the bar counter.
Jak smiled thinly. "Sure thing."
Erol pushed the door in with a loud thud. Glancing to his left he caught sight of some children playing a silly game by the door. Looking straight ahead he saw some scantily clothed dancers in the fighting ring flirting with some shit faced men around the edges. In the far right corner a young man was apparently a step away from alcohol poisoning as he hurled his entire abdominal cavity. A small grimace crossed Erol's face. Scanning the rest of the room his eyes alighted on what he had come see. Next to the bar on the farthest left side was seated Jak. Allowing a menacing grin to appear he shoved his way to the back of the bar.
"- of course not Sid. The metal heads are-" Jak stopped mid-sentence as Erol came striding up to him.
"Ello there Jakie boy." Erol smiled grimly and swayed from side to side. "So nice to... see you here."
"What are you doing here?" Jak glared at Erol. His mind reeled as all possible scenarios played out in his head. His whole body screamed danger to him. Erol was deeply intoxicated, this could go any direction.
Erol watched Jak look at him sideways. "I just came to wish you good luck tomorrow." He sat down and waved his hand for the waitress. "What are ya drinkin'?"
Jak didn't understand what was going on. He watched as Erol sniffed his drink, and then ask for whatever it was. Obviously something was very wrong. He looked at Sid who was just staring at Erol as if he had just been dragged from the sewer. Erol reeked of booze and his face was flushed. He was wearing his Krimzon Guard uniform still, and his hair had been slicked back into a ponytail. Jak just stared at Erol.
"What?! Can't enemies just be buds before I wipe the track with ya tomorrow?" Erol giggled like a school girl and downed half the drink with one swig. "Mmmmm, ya rrreally know 'ow ta pick the good st'ff." Erol downed the rest of the contents and ordered another one.
"Okay... If you're willing to put it behind you, I can for tonight." Jak wasn't really in the mood to have to hold a grudge for tonight. He needed to get drunk tonight and wasn't going to let Erol ruin it for him. "Waiter, bring me another please. Oh and Erol, there's a no weapon rule here." Erol grinned feral like and sipped his drink.
Jak leaned against the counter, his head was swimming, his feet never seemed to truly touch the ground and he could still smell the alcohol, even though there wasn't one drop before him. Erol looked worse for wear. He was sitting slightly sideways and he slurred every word that came from his mouth. Daxter had passed out at least a half hour ago, and the rest of the crowd had eventually dwindled down to them and three other people, all not doing so well.
"Sooo, Jak... Whhhat you gonna do t'morrow? Ya gonna beat me at the rayshes?!" Erol lifted a hand and placed it on Jak's back before laughing absurdly loud. Jak giggled with Erol, and then he slumped over and leaned against him.
"Yessiree! That's a what I've been planin' on doing fer a while...." Jak's eyes began to close. Erol was warm. Like a bed just before you get up in the morning. "You like a bed Erol."
Erol looked at Jak and blinked a few times. "What the hell are you talking about?"
Jak giggled and snuggled closer to the Krimzon guard. "Warm. So very sleepy."
Erol crooked half his lips up in a jesting smirk. "I bet I could make you scream." It was Jak's turn to blink. Erol smiled widely and stood up. His body tipped sideways and he almost lost his balance, but Jak placed a hand on his arm and helped steady him, as best that two wasted men could. Erol grabbed Jaks hand and drug him from the bar.
The night was crisp and by this time there was barely anyone on the streets. Jak leaned against the warmth that Erol offered. Erol leaned against Jak at the same time and their weights together evened out, neither fell to the ground.
"Oh I am sooooo happy, so very very happy..." Jak's voice trailed off mid song when he noticed two Krimzon guards headed their way. He stood straight and threw his shoulders back. Holding his head high he strutted towards the two unaware guards.
"Halt who goes there?" One of the guards shouted out into the foggy night.
"I do." Jak leaped and in his alcohol induced rage ripped the two guards apart. Jak could feel the dark strength flow through his veins as the second guards neck shattered beneath his iron grip. Erol watched in cold amusement.
"So that's what the Baron was trying to do." A small smirk crawled it's way up Erols lips and he stared at Jak as he came down off the rage high. "Want to go have some more fun?"
Erol lead Jak into a small apartment in the nicer part of the City. The furniture was Spartan as was the decor. The walls were a rain cloud gray and the floor was an old musty carpet. A single futon bed was set up on the far side of the room. A large pillow like chair was the only other part of the apartment seating furniture. Jak glanced around for the bathroom.
"This way." Eorl grabbed Jak's hand, which caused Jak to recoil. He took him into the bathroom and then began to get undressed. Jak stared open mouthed.
"Wha..." All Jak could think as Erol stripped off his shirt was that he must have died and be in Hell right now. Although Erol was nicely built. His shoulders rippled with every movement he made. His back muscles were toned to perfection, and his front was a thing that even the famous Michelangelo would have had trouble duplicating. Jak tried not to drool.
Erol smiled ferally again and pounced at Jak, grabbing him by the waist and kissing him hard. "I'll show you that I deserve Keira more... That I'm the better man!" Erol growled at Jak between his kisses. Quickly he had Jak's shirt off and his hands began to tear at the others pants.
Jak groaned at the rough treatment and barely registered what Erol had said. He stepped back and glared at him. "Is that a challenge?"
Erol just threw his head back and laughed heartily. Jak took this opportunity to bite Erols neck and grab at his chest. Both soon began to rough handle the other. Their drunken stupor eliminating anything other than the feelings they evoked with each stroke, pinch, bite, and kiss. Between the moans and groans there came a soft beeping from underneath the rapidly growing pile of clothing.
"Erol?" Came the Barons voice over a small speaker. "Erol? Where are you, you lazy scum!" Erol kicked at the pile of clothes and pushed Jak out the bathroom door and toward the futon bed. He easily picked up the smaller man and pressed him up against the wall as he leaned against him and continued his menstruations of every inch of Jak's pale skin..
Jak groaned loudly and tossed his head back, hitting it sharply against the wall. He grunted and blinked at Erol who hadn't stopped to see if he was okay. Jak glared and felt a rage begin to build up in him. Erol was winning his own bet! That wasn't going to be tolerated by Jak and he grabbed Erol's hair pulling his head up and back. He harshly kissed him on the lips, then bit his lower lip savagely and drew blood. Erol gasped and pulled away, his eyes widened and a evil smirk splayed across his face.
Jak licked his own lips and then Erols. He giggled insanely as Erol nipped at his tongue playfully. Slowly Jak ran his hands up Erols sides and laved at his neck. Erol moaned and loved every moment of it, he tilted his head back allowing Jak more room. Jak bit down on the soft, warm skin and sucked hard.
Erol threw Jak as hard as he could towards the bed. He watched as the naked man stumbled over his own feet and tripped on the bed falling backwards. Jak sprawled ungracefully across the bed and in his drunken stupor blew a kiss towards Erol. Erols foggy mind had one thing on it and that was the beautiful demon spread before him. Never before had he ever thought of doing these kinds of things to anyone. He felt dirty, he felt a hunger, he felt alive. Walking towards Jak with a glint in his eye, Erol descended onto the welcoming body.
Jaks only thoughts during the rough sex were about the burning. Everything burned, in good and bad ways. It burned when Erol entered him, it burned when he moved, it burned when he kissed him. Jak felt like he was nothing but ashes by the time he orgasmed. He felt the thrill and the hunger dissipate as his body arched and curved. He felt a sickness rise in his throat as Erol collapsed in a heap on top of him. Jak threw the heavy man to the side and ran to the bathroom. He fell on his knees and heaved drily into the toilet bowl. His sides ached as he heaved again and again.
Erol listened to Jak. His lips splayed into a grin. He had won, he had made a bet with someone his equal and came out on top. He started to giggle softly as he continued to hear the heaves from the bathroom. The giggle grew into a laugh, which became a manic howl.
Jak breathed heavily, leaning over the toilet, and bit his lip as he heard Erol laughing. Tears streamed down his face and he choked on a sob. He wished with all his might that he could go home. That this was just another bad dream. Squeezing his eyes shut tight he hoped and prayed to the Precursors to let him open his eyes and be back in his own bed. In his own time and his own place. Erol's laughter died down and Jak stood, rinsed his mouth out and collected his clothes. Glancing at a clock in the bedroom he thought of what Daxter would think of him walking in at four o'clock in the morning. Not that the ottsel would be awake after that much alcohol.
Erol curled himself up into the blankets and watched Jak dress himself slowly. Obviously he had abused the other more than he had thought. His eyes blurred as he stared without blinking at the man. His mouth dried out as his mind began to clear. What had he done? His resolve began to disappear as Jak stumbled towards the door.
"Jak..." Erol began. Jak turned and glared at him. If looks could kill, as the saying goes. "I just want... I'm...." Making a stern face, Erol turned to Jak full on. "I have proved that I am the better and stronger man here. I'll see you at the finish line tomorrow.... Jak-ass."
Jaks face hardened and black lightening flowed from his fingertips. "We'll see about that." He turned on his heel and stormed out of the apartment, slamming the door so hard it fell off its hinges and crashed into the hallway.
Jak clamped his gloves on his hands and glared into the mirror. His neck had small bruising on it and Daxter had made a crack about the fine young ladies he swore he saw Jak leave with. Keira had looked at him with a sad longing in her face, as if she knew everything. Jak just snorted and walked away.
Erol mounted his racer pod and slowly moved it toward the starting line. His mind kept replaying images from the night before. The way Jak's lips had formed the most perfect 'O' shape he had ever seen. The way that his hands had touched such soft, and yet hard, almost rock like, skin. He felt an uncomfortable heat growing in his pants and he huffed slightly. His jaw clenched and he ground his teeth together, willing the images to leave his mind. He glanced at the already collected racers and noticed that Jak wasn't there. Well that was good. At least he would be late, and Erol wouldn't have to see the hatred and feel the lust.
Jak kicked off the wall as his racer skidded around a corner heading towards the starting line. He saw the red hair, and he could feel it under his palms. He snarled and Daxter looked at him with a slight look of fear.
"Yo, Jak, you alright there buddy?" Daxter patted Jak's head softly.
"Yeah Dax. I'm just thinking of how we should clean Erol's body, or at least what's left of it after this race, off the track." Jak shouted above the roar of the engines so that the Krimzon guard could hear. He watched as Erol kept his gaze ahead of him and as his jaw clenched. From fear, Jak decided. He felt a small burning in the pit of his stomach. The burn from hate filled feelings. He huffed heavily and let the feelings subside as he thought of his plan of action through the course.
"On your marks?" The judge asked. The crowd was cheering loudly and the participants were edgy. This was a make'em or break'em race. Everyone knew what was on the line here. Pride, glory, and life. Everything was just for this race. Every year.
Jak watched the counter blink down. Red.... red.... red.... GREEN! He kicked off his speeder and sped with the jumbling crowd around the first corner. The scraping of metal as everyone tried for the first spot was deafening. Daxter's paws gripped his shoulder so tightly that Jak thought he would loose his arm.
"C'mon buddy! C'mon buddy!" Daxter screeched in his ear.
"Stop yelling at- WOAH!" Jak kicked his leg out just in time to avoid smashing into the wall. His bones and muscles screamed at the strain from the effort to keep them from sailing off and blowing up into a pile of scorched metal and flesh.
For the first two rounds things went smoothly. People flew off and died at the big jump, and everyone else was jostling with every other person to keep their positions secured. Jak hung back in fourth place and fought with all his might to retain it. He could see Erol's bright hair in front of him in second. Funny, Jak thought, shouldn't Erol be pushing the guy ahead of him off the course and taking first for himself?
Daxter hung onto Jaks hair and shoulder for dear life. He could feel his stomach lurch with every turn and every bump. He felt like he was on his last rope. If Jak took that last turn too sharply again, Dax knew he was going to be the next oil splotch on the track.
Jak kicked his booster into gear and flew ahead and into third place, simotaneously passing into the last round of the track. With a whoop he swung around the first corner and hit the booster again, this time flying off the track and speeding through the air over the large gap of death which the large curve of death skirted.
Daxter had it. He turned around and threw up. Hearing curses from the racers behind them but not caring in the least.
Erol had just passed the first person, he was now in the lead. Coming around the last of the bend in the aptly named "curve of death". He laughed loudly as he came around and there was no one to be seen. Suddenly, as if out of nowhere, Jak came hurtling down and landed in front of him. Erol screamed so loud, as one he was passed and two vomit hit his face, it scared the person he had just passed into running into a wall and becoming a ball of flames. He jumped on his own booster and soon, Jak and Erol were neck and neck. They leaped over the hurtle that marked two thirds of the way through and he, Erol spurned his speeder once more. He jumped ahead of Jak and was well on his way to winning when another, less deft driver, hit his booster and careened into the back end of Erol's speeder, causing him to loose control and hit a wall, slowing his victory to a dead halt.
Jak laughed insanely as he watched Erol run head first into the wall, undamaged but stopped in his tracks none the less. Jak used his last booster to zoom across the finish line. He jumped off his racer and started to do a victory dance and jazzing the crowd, when the Baron began speaking to him.
"I am so pleased to meet and greet my newest winner! He has fought bravely to get where he is." The Baron turned on his floating lift and looked Jak in the face. He stood quietly assessing this new winner. "Where's Erol? Where's my champion?! YOU! GUARDS!" The Barons face turned red as he began screaming orders left and right. His hands began trembling as the guards stopped approaching Jak and a scream came.
"YOU'RE MINE JAK!" Erol came racing around the corner. A load of dark eco, which had conveniently been placed just behind Jak, loomed in front of the Krimzon guard. "MINE!"
Jak had but a moment to blink as in a millisecond the enraged man crashed into the large amount of the coveted goo. "Erol..." Jak blinked and stared.
"C'mon buddy! We gotta go!" Daxter jerked on Jak's ear. "They're coming! LETS GO." Daxter screeched as Jak took off in full speed towards the door, as the Baron shouted and raged, and the stunned guards collected their wits behind him.
Fleeing from the carnage Jak felt a burning in his gut. He had wanted to rub it in Erol's face that he was no longer the big man on Sturg Drive. He had wanted to push and shove every last bit of the vile, foul feeling that soaked his entire being onto the man who had committed unwanted suicide. Jak collapsed in the court yard next to the hideout and screamed in rage. His head threw back and his throat tightened in an unexplainable rage. The scream that came from him, would be remembered by everyone who heard for the rest of their living days. They would dream nightmares of it. Of the lurkers in their dreams, a howl of pain and fury. A cry from the damned and the dying.
Jak collapsed and began to weep. Daxter stood transfixed a few feet away. He watched as his life long friend seemed to melt into nothing but pity and tears. "Uh.... Jak ol' buddy... Yo, what's wrong?" He twiddled his thumbs and watched the passer-by's as they stared. Their eyes burning holes all the way through Daxter's thick fur. He smiled and waved, and walked up to Jak, placing a hand on his back. "It'll be okay Jak.... ya know, whatever it is that's troubling you... It'll be okay... with time."
"No Dax... It'll never be okay. The memories will eat away at me till I become no more. They'll damn my soul to an eternity of hell." Jak looked up, and his face spoke of the anger and hatred that burned like a bonfire inside of his seemingly cold and hardened heart. "Lets go pay a visit to the Baron's digs." Jak stood and picked Daxter up, setting him on his shoulder. "Lets go have some romping fun." A small smirk slid its way onto the once angelic features and Jak strode with a confidence down the alley and towards the castle.