Chapter Three: He's Back!
NRS: These are just coming quick, aren't they?
Blaz: I take back what I…pantpant… said in Snapped…pantpant… Sages… You do drive me…. Pantpant… like a Slave Driver!
NRS: (Grinning like a madwoman) Of course.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything… beside a few doughnuts and my loveable pencil.
OH! The seven new ecos, Dr. Labrowski and anyone else!
"It feels so good to be back!" Jak stared in utter astonishment as his old friend stood up. On Human Legs…
"Dax?" The White Light disappeared and blue eyes and flame hair assaulted his vision.
"Ahh!" Tess screamed and Daxter spun around. He chuckled lightly.
"Ah, Keira, you think you can get us some clothes?" Jak blinked as he looked at the lovely face of Daxter.
"Wow…. Dax…" He grinned, straight teeth, not bucked. His flame hair was slightly slicked back and Jak stopped looking past his neck.
Daxter stretched his arms above his head and yawned.
"Dax! You look… hot!" Keira said as she came back with two roves. Ashelin covered Tess and Daxter slipped into the robe. Keira's eyes lingered on his chest as the elf loosely closed it.
Jak mentally agreed with Keria then blinked in surprise. 'Did I just think my best friend is hot?'
Daxter looked at his hands and wiggled his fingers. "Un-fucking-believable…"
Tess walked around and gasped, covering her mouth.
"Daxter!" She touched his red-orange hair and her hand slid to his ears in old habit.
He started to make a deep throaty purr and she blinked.
"In the flesh, Tess-baby." He grinned and she threw her arms around him. He caught her and looked at Jak.
"I never thought I'd see that fiery hair again."
Daxter grinned largely, Tess now resting comfortably in his arms.
"Wow… who's the hottie?" Ashelin asked as she walked in, carrying a tray of coffee.
"Hey Red, don't cha recognize me?" Daxter gave one of his lecherous smirks, seeming all the more perverted in his elfin state.
Ashelin's eyes widened. "Is that Daxter?" Keira and Jak took one of the offered cups and Tess took two.
"Who else?" Ashelin slid down the wall.
"Woah…"
Jak nodded and yawned. "What time is it?" He asked Keira.
"Almost midnight." There was a companionable silence.
"How did this happen?" Tess asked, looking at her human body… and Daxter's…
"Dark Eco created me and the only other eco that could change me is the opposite; Light Eco. So, it seemed to chage us both back. No idea why though…"
She nodded and climbed out of his arms, sipping her coffee.
"Daddy would have loved to see this." Keira said sadly and Jak wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
"It's alright, Keira. He would have just said Dax looks uglier than normal." He kissed her forehead and smirked at the fuming Daxter.
"Alright, time to go to bed boys and girls. We have a lot to do." She suddenly said, standing up.
"Torn will be allowed to leave tomorrow morning…er… in a few hours…" Jak yawned again as he said this.
Tess had fallen asleep against Daxter and was lightly breathing.
"Yeah, I'll see you in the morning." Ashelin said quietly and walked up the stairs.
Keira gave one final lingering gaze to the Precursor Artifacts and then reluctantly trudged up the stairs.
Daxter looked at the sleeping woman in his arms and sighed.
"Jak, I would have never thought that I would be able to hold something larger than your treasured gun." The blonde renegade blinked then nodded, smiling slightly. "Heh, things really are changing, aren't they?"
"Too fast, Dax. Too fast…"
Later That Night 3:00AMKeira's eyes squinted as she looked around the darkened room. The inky blackness filled every crevice as a small pint of light emerged from the Precursor Glass Case.
She walked quietly to it and sat down. With steady hands she opened it and the room was immediately lit up.
The Pink Eco caught her eye and she raised it up. One neon eye squinted and she shook it.
The Eco swirled, but nothing else happened.
"I'm no channeler, but—" The Green Eco jar exploded and she watched with frightened eyes as glass was buried into her skin.
A tiny whimper escaped her and the Green Eco stopped moving.
The green glow intensified until it blinded her. She covered her eyes and a calming sensation washed over her. A sigh escaped her lips and suddenly the pain was gone.
The Pink Eco seemed to drain into the air as the bottle clattered to the floor, all the other eco's forgotten. She hurridely stood up and closed the doors.
She turned and ran up the stairs, ignoring the way her body suddenly felt… lighter…
6AM—the Hospital"Grrrr……" Jak, Ashelin and Daxter walked into the hospital to see Torn up and giving a nurse a deep growl.
"Torn?" Ashelin asked, stilfing her laughter as she saw what the nurse was holding.
"Ms. Ashelin! I cannot get this unruly man—" Torn snarled, "—to take these crutches!"
Jak and Daxter started to laugh and Torn made his way over to them.
He was wearing only his pants and boots, bandages covering her upper torso and forehead.
"I will not be seen as weak!" Ashelin patted the nurse's shoulder.
"He really can't. You know the Underground Rules." The nurse seemed to deflate.
"Yes! Otherwise I might take those god-foresaken crutches and shove them up—" Jak slapped a hand over the commander's face and shooed the horrified nurse off.
Torn bit Jak's hand and blinked as he saw Daxter.
"Who's the kid?"
Daxter narrowed his eyes.
"Uh…" Jak looked between them.
"Where's the rat?" Torn lifted a brow. "He's not with Tess again is he?"
Daxter's eyes widened. Torn didn't know who he was…. The little devil on Daxter's shoulder cackled and rubbed his hands together.
"Dax is—"
"I'm Shiji." Daxter interrupted and both Ashelin and Jak gave him a funny look. He discreetly nodded and gave a smile.
"Ashelin's personal body guard." He added.
Torn seemed not to care and instead looked around. "Where's Keira? She had all my guns."
Jak blinked. "Come to think of it… I haven't seen her since…" He stopped as he remember the explosion he heard and the Green Eco surge that he felt, "last night."
Torn sighed. "Whatever. I'm hungry. The food here tastes like shit."
The commander put a hand to his ribs and started to limp out.
"What did he do?" Jak asked quietly, catching up to the red head.
"A few ribs, my shoulder got dislocated, got a gash under her skull and he ankle is twisted pretty badly." Jak winced and Torn noticed.
"It wasn't all your fault." The commander blinked at what he was about to say. "You were pissed and I fed the fire."
Daxter slowed down next to Ashelin.
"Why did you tell Torn that?" She hissed.
"It'll be fun until he finds out that I'm the annoying rat."
"What about Tess?"
"We'll say the Precursors came back." A group of girls walking down the street turned and whistled at Daxter. Only then did he remember that he was only wearing the pair of shorts the Precursors had given him.
He grinned broadly and Ashelin sighed. This man's ego was just too much!
Torn walked to the computer first where his guns and precious sword lay. He ran a hand down the blade, like a lover's touch.
"I want you and the newbie to go and check out the old Krimzon Guard factory. Roumers have it that it's up and running again. And we don't need any more of those mindless drines strutting around town." Jak and Daxter fell over.
"What the hell!" Jak shouted, jumping up and trying to glare at the taller elf.
Torn averted his eyes, trying not to laugh at the younger elf's antics.
Jak, on the top of one of his jumps, stumbled and tripped onto Torn.
The elf caught him around the waist and Jak reflexively wrapped his legs around Torn's waist.
Both elves stilled and Jak hesitantly looked at the elf. Their eyes connected and Torn abruptly dropped Jak to the floor as a light blush spread across the blonde's face.
Torn coughed and cleared his throat. "Alright, enough playing around. Go and get this finished." Jak stood up and brushed off his trousers.
He walked over to Ashelin. "Show him the artifacts while we're gone."
He left and Torn finally slouched. Ashelin helped him into a chair which he promptly shook off.
"I don't need your help!" He snapped and leaned against the wall staring at the glass case.
"What the hell is that?"
"Yesterday, when Jak went into the Fortree we found it." She crouched to her knees and pulled the doors open.
"And we found seven new ecos." Torn's mouth dropped as the treasures were revealed to him.
He too, crouched painfully down and took the Midnight Eco into his hands.
"All these…. Makes you wonder what ELSE is out there, huh?" Torn said quietly and stood up.
A woman walked down the stiars in a fluffy robe and yawned.
"Where did—" She stopped as she saw Torn. "Torn! How are you feeling?" Torn knelt near the astonished commander and he looked at Ashelin.
"Will someone please tell me what the hell happened!"
NRS: Alright, sorry for the wait.
Blaz: Until NEXT CHAPTER!
-Jak finds something out
Torn finds out what the hell is going on!
I shall see you later!
