Chapter 3: Growing Anger
Jak stomped out of the palace not paying attention to the small ottsel who was trying to catch up with him. His face was set into a silent rage, crimson guards jumped out of his way as he past, he couldn't hear anyone any more. Jak pulled out his blaster gun and shot at the oncoming door controls, opening the door. He walked down the palace steps and looked up. Seeing a zoomer that he liked, he made one powerful jump up and threw the driver down to the ground, more forcefully than normal, and gunned the engine, speeding off.
"HEY, I THINK YOU FORGOT SOMEONE HERE!" Daxter yelled at his hotheaded friend as he watched him drive away, "I'll just find another way home then. HEY Bigfoot, watch where you're steppin'"
Daxter marched himself back into the castle, he was determined to find out what had happened between Jak and Ashlin. What ever happened it seriously pissed Jak off, which is never a good thing, and god knows what Ashlin is like now.
* * *
Keira woke up. The bench she had fallen asleep on was hard and uncomfortable; it was a wonder that she got any sleep at all. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. The Naughty Ottsel was deserted, which was normal for during the day, it was at night when it really came alive. Like last night, herself, Tess, and Sig stayed to clean up, which took almost all night. Daxter had passed out drunk ten minutes into clean up so Tess put him in bed, and Jak never showed up.
She would be lying to herself to say that she didn't care, but she cared almost too much. She loved that little boy she had grown up with, his innocents, and carefree attitude threw her heels over head. But that was in the past, and Jak was gone, rarely to be seen anymore. She had almost sensed his love for her during the party after he defeated Metal Kor, but the spark had dissipated and she was left alone.
"Good afternoon chilli peppers. Bar open Tess, cause I sure am thirsty." Sig said as he walked through the door. Sig one of the biggest characters in Haven City, he could both scare people and make them feel wanted. His rough exterior and metalhead armor gave him a tough guy look, he was truly a wastelander. But he was also dependable in every situation and even his presence seemed to cheer Keira up.
"The bar just opened big guy, what can I get ya?" Tess replied, removing herself from one of the booths and slipping behind the counter of the bar.
"The usual will do, thanks," Sig said, and with his order he walked over to Keira, "Well good mornin', s'bout time you got up. It happens to be a lovely day out side."
Keira put on a smile, but was still thinking about Jak.
Sig saw her worry and new what it was about, "Cheer up cherry, if your that worried about the kid go see him. Ya can't just count on Jak to be the social one all the time."
Keira looked at him in surprise, she didn't know she was that easy to read, "I would go to him, but I never know where he's going to be these days."
"Well what if I told you that he's on his way to the Palace as we speech, if ya hurry you might be able to catch him." Sig replied. He saw the light flicker on in her eyes and she let out a bigger smile than before.
"Thanks Sig," and with that said, Keira left the Naughty Ottsel.
* * *
"What do you want."
"Just to talk Jak. I was exploring the palace when I found my father's secret study room."
"So what does that have to do with me?"
"In it I found a whole library on Mar and ancient times, more importantly though, I found this." Ashlin held up a folder.
* * *
"Yo, sweet cheeks." Daxter called out to Ashlin, "What exactly did you do to Jak?"
"Nothing and it's none of your business," Ashlin quipped.
"None of my business, of course its my business. Jak wasn't exactly stopping to smell the roses when he left this place," Daxter shot back, "and since he left me here without a ride home you'd better make it my business otherwise I can get pretty annoying."
Ashlin let out a sigh. 'Great now I'm stuck with Jak's mouthy pet' she thought to herself.
* * *
Jak took the file and read its contents carefully. He paced around the room and said nothing. Ashlin could see his muscles were tense and yet his face was emotionless. She couldn't help but think that Jak looked Torn when he was contemplating something, and it was quite attractive.
Finally Jak took one of the pictures out as well as the last report and folded it neatly into his pocket. He then closed the file folder and threw it into the air. Instantly he pulled out his blaster and shot the file until nothing remained. Ashlin stood aghast. She truly did not know how Jak would react upon given the information, but this rash act was not something that immediately came to mind.
* * *
Jak's long hair whipped behind him as he raced through the streets. The motor of the zoomer protested as Jak continuously pushed it to go faster. He had circled the Palace once and had finally decided that he needed a couple of drinks, so he speed towards the Naughty Ottsel.
People dove out of the way to avoid getting hit by the zoomer. Some even shouted back at Jak for getting them dirty, but he didn't care. It was almost a sport to him and deep down he enjoyed watching the fat ones try and get out of the way.
He was just about to turn the last corner of the Mar Tomb when he spotted a blue and neon green zoomer coming around the same corner. Keira's eyes widened with fear, she was a good driver but the speed at which she was going left her no time to react to the brown zoomer in front of her. Jak turned the zoomer to the right more quickly than normal, which put him straight into the opposing wall.
* * *
"What was that for?"
"I don't need you or anyone else in my business."
"It's MY business if you live in this city. Judging by the reports and by what I've heard about you-- Look Jak I'm just playing it safe."
"Look I've got everything under control and don't need a bunch of crimson heads babysitting me all the time."
"I just don't want you to hurt anyone. They didn't call it the Dark Warrior Project for nothing. I can't take back what my father did to you-"
"You're right you can't undo it so forget about it."
Jak turned away from Ashlin and made his way out the door and into the hallway.
"If you ever lose control Jak I will be forced to hunt you down," Ashlin shouted after him.
* * *
Jak laid sprawled on the cold pavement of the street. The remains of the zoomer he had stolen lay burnt on top of him. Black blood oozed out of the cut on his forehead. Keira stopped her zoomer and ran over to Jak.
Jak stomped out of the palace not paying attention to the small ottsel who was trying to catch up with him. His face was set into a silent rage, crimson guards jumped out of his way as he past, he couldn't hear anyone any more. Jak pulled out his blaster gun and shot at the oncoming door controls, opening the door. He walked down the palace steps and looked up. Seeing a zoomer that he liked, he made one powerful jump up and threw the driver down to the ground, more forcefully than normal, and gunned the engine, speeding off.
"HEY, I THINK YOU FORGOT SOMEONE HERE!" Daxter yelled at his hotheaded friend as he watched him drive away, "I'll just find another way home then. HEY Bigfoot, watch where you're steppin'"
Daxter marched himself back into the castle, he was determined to find out what had happened between Jak and Ashlin. What ever happened it seriously pissed Jak off, which is never a good thing, and god knows what Ashlin is like now.
* * *
Keira woke up. The bench she had fallen asleep on was hard and uncomfortable; it was a wonder that she got any sleep at all. She sat up and rubbed her eyes. The Naughty Ottsel was deserted, which was normal for during the day, it was at night when it really came alive. Like last night, herself, Tess, and Sig stayed to clean up, which took almost all night. Daxter had passed out drunk ten minutes into clean up so Tess put him in bed, and Jak never showed up.
She would be lying to herself to say that she didn't care, but she cared almost too much. She loved that little boy she had grown up with, his innocents, and carefree attitude threw her heels over head. But that was in the past, and Jak was gone, rarely to be seen anymore. She had almost sensed his love for her during the party after he defeated Metal Kor, but the spark had dissipated and she was left alone.
"Good afternoon chilli peppers. Bar open Tess, cause I sure am thirsty." Sig said as he walked through the door. Sig one of the biggest characters in Haven City, he could both scare people and make them feel wanted. His rough exterior and metalhead armor gave him a tough guy look, he was truly a wastelander. But he was also dependable in every situation and even his presence seemed to cheer Keira up.
"The bar just opened big guy, what can I get ya?" Tess replied, removing herself from one of the booths and slipping behind the counter of the bar.
"The usual will do, thanks," Sig said, and with his order he walked over to Keira, "Well good mornin', s'bout time you got up. It happens to be a lovely day out side."
Keira put on a smile, but was still thinking about Jak.
Sig saw her worry and new what it was about, "Cheer up cherry, if your that worried about the kid go see him. Ya can't just count on Jak to be the social one all the time."
Keira looked at him in surprise, she didn't know she was that easy to read, "I would go to him, but I never know where he's going to be these days."
"Well what if I told you that he's on his way to the Palace as we speech, if ya hurry you might be able to catch him." Sig replied. He saw the light flicker on in her eyes and she let out a bigger smile than before.
"Thanks Sig," and with that said, Keira left the Naughty Ottsel.
* * *
"What do you want."
"Just to talk Jak. I was exploring the palace when I found my father's secret study room."
"So what does that have to do with me?"
"In it I found a whole library on Mar and ancient times, more importantly though, I found this." Ashlin held up a folder.
* * *
"Yo, sweet cheeks." Daxter called out to Ashlin, "What exactly did you do to Jak?"
"Nothing and it's none of your business," Ashlin quipped.
"None of my business, of course its my business. Jak wasn't exactly stopping to smell the roses when he left this place," Daxter shot back, "and since he left me here without a ride home you'd better make it my business otherwise I can get pretty annoying."
Ashlin let out a sigh. 'Great now I'm stuck with Jak's mouthy pet' she thought to herself.
* * *
Jak took the file and read its contents carefully. He paced around the room and said nothing. Ashlin could see his muscles were tense and yet his face was emotionless. She couldn't help but think that Jak looked Torn when he was contemplating something, and it was quite attractive.
Finally Jak took one of the pictures out as well as the last report and folded it neatly into his pocket. He then closed the file folder and threw it into the air. Instantly he pulled out his blaster and shot the file until nothing remained. Ashlin stood aghast. She truly did not know how Jak would react upon given the information, but this rash act was not something that immediately came to mind.
* * *
Jak's long hair whipped behind him as he raced through the streets. The motor of the zoomer protested as Jak continuously pushed it to go faster. He had circled the Palace once and had finally decided that he needed a couple of drinks, so he speed towards the Naughty Ottsel.
People dove out of the way to avoid getting hit by the zoomer. Some even shouted back at Jak for getting them dirty, but he didn't care. It was almost a sport to him and deep down he enjoyed watching the fat ones try and get out of the way.
He was just about to turn the last corner of the Mar Tomb when he spotted a blue and neon green zoomer coming around the same corner. Keira's eyes widened with fear, she was a good driver but the speed at which she was going left her no time to react to the brown zoomer in front of her. Jak turned the zoomer to the right more quickly than normal, which put him straight into the opposing wall.
* * *
"What was that for?"
"I don't need you or anyone else in my business."
"It's MY business if you live in this city. Judging by the reports and by what I've heard about you-- Look Jak I'm just playing it safe."
"Look I've got everything under control and don't need a bunch of crimson heads babysitting me all the time."
"I just don't want you to hurt anyone. They didn't call it the Dark Warrior Project for nothing. I can't take back what my father did to you-"
"You're right you can't undo it so forget about it."
Jak turned away from Ashlin and made his way out the door and into the hallway.
"If you ever lose control Jak I will be forced to hunt you down," Ashlin shouted after him.
* * *
Jak laid sprawled on the cold pavement of the street. The remains of the zoomer he had stolen lay burnt on top of him. Black blood oozed out of the cut on his forehead. Keira stopped her zoomer and ran over to Jak.